A newly elected Shelby County commissioner was arrested hours after attending his first commission meeting, less than two weeks after a grand jury indicted him on two felony charges involving alleged falsification of state revenue or tax records.
Will Richardson II faces two counts of falsification of state revenue or tax records.
Action News 5 reported that the charges stem from alleged conduct in December 2020, nearly six years before Richardson joined the Shelby County Commission.
A Shelby County grand jury returned the indictment on August 25. Richardson was sworn in as the District 8 commissioner on August 31, an arrest warrant was issued September 8, and court records show he was booked into the Shelby County Jail on September 9 with bail set at $40,000.
Richardson Was Already Indicted When He Took Office
Richardson formally became a Shelby County commissioner six days after the grand jury returned the indictment. The Commercial Appeal reported, citing the county’s criminal justice portal, that he was indicted August 25 and sworn in during the Shelby County Government ceremony on August 31.
Richardson then participated in his first commission meeting on the afternoon of September 9 before being booked into jail later that day.
Reporting from the meeting says Richardson took part in commission business and asked questions ahead of a vote involving the county’s jail health provider. News of his arrest became public later that evening.
He Had Just Won the District 8 Commission Seat
Richardson won the District 8 seat in the August 6 county general election with about 81% of the vote. The Shelby County government website now lists him as the sitting District 8 commissioner.
He succeeded Mickell Lowery, who left the seat after being elected Shelby County mayor. District 8 stretches through portions of Memphis that include Frayser, Uptown and Downtown, South Memphis, Central Gardens and the Medical District.
Richardson is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and businessman. Local reporting also identifies him as vice chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party and owner of businesses including WR Community Services.
The Public Records Do Not Yet Explain What Richardson Allegedly Falsified
The two charges are classified as Class E felonies, but the publicly reported court information provides little detail beyond the charge description and the December 2020 dates.
Under Tennessee’s general felony classification statute, a Class E felony carries an authorized imprisonment range of one to six years and a fine of up to $3,000 unless another statute provides otherwise. Any actual punishment would depend on a conviction, the applicable sentencing range and other rules considered by the court.
The indictment contains allegations, not findings of guilt. Richardson is presumed innocent unless the state proves the charges beyond a reasonable doubt or he enters a guilty plea.
Suspected Tennessee Tax Fraud Can Be Reported to State Investigators
The Tennessee Department of Revenue says its Special Investigations Section investigates suspected violations of state tax laws and can recommend criminal or civil action based on the evidence.
The unit commonly handles allegations involving sales and use tax, business tax, franchise and excise taxes, tobacco tax, motor fuel taxes and other state business taxes. A particular allegation should not be assigned to one of those categories without evidence showing which tax is actually involved.
People who believe they have specific information about Tennessee tax fraud can report it to the Department of Revenue online, in writing or through its fraud hotline. The department says reports can be anonymous and recommends providing details about who was involved, what allegedly occurred, when and where it happened and how the person making the report learned about it.