Justice Department Sues Roger Stone, Alleging He Owes Nearly $2 Million in Unpaid Taxes

The United States Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against Roger Stone and his wife on Friday in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and accused the couple of owing about $2 million in federal income taxes.

The lawsuit reads:

Plaintiff, the United States of America, brings this civil action to reduce to judgment and collect unpaid federal income tax liabilities owed by Defendants Roger J. Stone and Nydia B. Stone (collectively “Roger and Nydia Stone” or “the Stones”) for the years 2007 through 2011 and 2018. Drake Ventures LLC (“Drake Ventures”) is liable for these tax liabilities as an alter ego of the Stones. Similarly, the United States asserts a claim against the Bertran Family Revocable Trust (“Bertran Trust”), which holds title to the condominium where the Stones reside— (the “Stone Residence”)—as their nominee.

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Although they used funds held in Drake Ventures accounts to pay some of their taxes, the Stones’ use of Drake Ventures to hold their funds allowed them to shield their personal income from enforced collection and fund a lavish lifestyle despite owing nearly $2 million in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties.

However, Stone reportedly said his tax bill has been public knowledge for a long time, and described the claims of his lavish lifestyle as “a laughable joke,” according to the New York Post.

“This is yet another example of the Democrats weaponizing the Justice Department in violation of the rule of law. I will fight these politically motivated charges and I will prevail again,” he commented.

In December, former President Donald Trump issued pardons to sixteen people, including Stone.

“Trump also pardoned political operative Roger Stone, after commuting his prison sentence in July, citing the unfair investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller,” Breitbart News reported.

The lawsuit alleged the Stones “used Drake Ventures to receive payments that are payable to Roger Stone personally, pay their personal expenses, shield their assets, and avoid reporting taxable income to the IRS.”

The case is United States v. Stone, No. 0:21-cv-25 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/04/17/justice-department-sues-roger-stone-alleging-he-owes-nearly-2-million-in-unpaid-taxes/

"Fentanyl Is Here:" Las Vegas Suffers 200% Surge In Overdose Deaths

America has been engulfed with a drug problem for decades, but the situation is quickly deteriorating as the largest inbound fentanyl traffic into the country was recently reported. Not surprising, but Las Vegas has been the latest metro area to suffer an "alarming" surge in overdose deaths.

According to Las Vegas Sun, fentanyl killed 219 people in the Las Vegas Valley in 2020, a stunning 200% increase from the prior year.

During the 2015-18 opioid crisis that ravaged many metros across the US, Clark County, Nevada, the area that houses Las Vegas, recorded annual reductions in opioid overdoses and deaths.

Since then, Mexican fentanyl has flooded the town, and overdoses/deaths have soared.

"We said fentanyl was coming," Metro Police Capt. John Pelletier told reporters Thursday. "Fentanyl is here."

Reporters questioned Pelletier about how the drug crisis is going so far (on a year-to-date basis), he answered: "not good."

"Clark County fentanyl deaths are on par with the "alarming" 30% increase in total overdose deaths in 2020, when 768 people succumbed to them, compared with 591 in 2019," Pelletier said, adding that 31 people were killed in the county in August, an average of about one per day.

Last week, Metro Police announced the creation of the Overdose Response Team, a task force comprised of local police and federal agencies. The task force would pursue murder charges for dealers accused of killing clients with drugs.

Another issue in Las Vegas and across Clark County is counterfeit pills that look identical to prescription medications are cut with fentanyl and have been responsible for overdoses and deaths.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fentanyl-here-las-vegas-suffers-200-surge-overdose-deaths