A sports marketing agent from Edmond, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty in federal court to tax fraud.
William G. Horn, a sports marketing agent who operated charitable organizations associated with the NFL and NBA, was charged earlier this month with making false statements on federal tax returns.
According to the allegations against him, Horn operated The Tommie Harris Foundation, a non-profit corporation, out of his home in Edmond since 2006.
Horn personally solicited donations to the Foundation, including hosting a celebrity golf tournament to raise funds for those in financial need.
Horn was responsible for filing Form 990 for the foundation, which reported both the income and distribution of funds raised. Records show he reported receipts of $1,840,495 and distributions of $705,699 for tax years 2007 through 2012--a difference of $1,134,796, which was reported as "functional expenses." Prosecutors say the defendant made false statements on the tax forms from 2011 and 2012 by stating that he received no compensation from the Foundation. However, they say he diverted more than $130,000 to personal bank accounts in 2011, and that he made nearly $40,000 in personal purchases on a Foundation credit card.
In 2012, he again appropriated Foundation funds for personal use, this time putting just under $130,000 in personal bank accounts and spending more than $40,000 on the Foundation credit card.
On Wednesday, Horn admitted during a plea hearing that he made false statements on the 2011 and 2012 tax returns for the Tommie Harris Foundation. He faces up to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the 2011 fraud. For the 2012 fraud, he faces up to three years in prison followed by a year of unsupervised release. In each case, he faces a fine of up to $250,000.
Additionally, he is ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $721,947.81 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. This amount reflects the funds diverted from the Foundation's charitable giving over the course of Horn's operation.
