Former Justice of the Peace at War with the IRS

Keith Bee, a former Justice of the Peace, in Pima County, AZ, faces three counts of making a false tax return and one count of corruptly endeavoring to impede the administration of internal revenue laws.

Bee was also the owner of Bee Line Transportation, a bus company, and from 2011 to 2013, claimed business expenses for his bus company which included the purchase of six Ford Mustangs, a Porsche 911 Carrera, a swimming pool, spa, landscaping and custom concrete work at his residences in Tucson and Washington State. In addition, for those tax years, Bee claimed depreciation of personal assets as business expenses and in 2012, failed to report $178,000 in capital gains.

The IRS began an audit of Bee’s 2011 tax returns and it was expanded to include the 2012 and 2013 tax years.  Bee met with IRS agents during the course of the audit and provided the IRS with vendor invoices which did not match the invoices obtained from the vendors.

According to Bee’s attorney, Michael Piccarreta, he said, “The evidence will show, reasonable, good-faith disputes over what is deductible but no ill intent.  I certainly don’t think there was any criminal behavior.”

A trial date is set for November, 2018.