Man Charged With Gun Crime, Obstructing The IRS

JACKSON COUNTY (WWJ) - A Jackson County man is charged with being a felon in possession of six different firearms, obstructing the administration of the Internal Revenue laws and five counts of filing false tax forms with the IRS.

Karl Herrington, of Parma, is charged with possessing the firearms on May 25, the day of his arrest on two counts of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the administration of the Internal Revenue laws and five counts of filing false tax forms with the IRS.

Herrington was previously convicted of a felony offense. On May 25, when he was arrested on the underlying tax charges, Herrington possessed six different firearms, including five shotguns and a magnum rifle.

According to the superseding indictment, Herrington submitted false forms to the IRS to intimidate and harass state and local government officials and employees.

These included forms falsely reporting that Herrington paid original issue discount, which is taxable as interest, to law enforcement personnel and judges involved in a criminal case against him in Jackson County.

In that case, Herrington was charged with being an accessory after the fact for harboring his wife, who was wanted for outstanding arrest warrants.

The superseding indictment also alleges that Herrington sent false forms to federal attorneys prosecuting a criminal tax case against his wife in the Northern District of Ohio in order to interfere with that case.

Among the false tax forms Herrington is accused of filing was an individual income tax return for himself, falsely reporting federal tax withheld of more than $8 million.

If convicted, Herrington faces a maximum sentence of 31 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1.5 million and forfeiture of the firearms.