KC Reporter

Two brothers from Missouri have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their alleged actions to obstruct the sale of properties seized by the IRS due to unpaid taxes. William Phillip Jackson, 67, and Stephen Lee Jackson, 66, face multiple charges related to conspiracy and interference with IRS operations.

The indictment, which was returned under seal on February 26 in Springfield, Missouri, was unsealed following the arrests of both men. William Jackson is currently held in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 5.

According to the indictment, William Jackson failed to comply with IRS regulations between 1998 and 2002 by not filing timely tax returns or paying due taxes. In 2006, the IRS assessed him approximately $1.39 million for unpaid taxes. Despite being notified of his liabilities, he did not settle his debts, leading to tax liens on four properties he owned.

A court order in February 2018 allowed foreclosure and judicial sale of these properties. However, despite orders to vacate them for sale purposes, William Jackson and family members continued residing there until January 2024 when they were evicted by the IRS.

In an attempt to obstruct the property sales further, William Jackson filed a bankruptcy petition on January 23, which was later deemed as filed "in bad faith" by the bankruptcy court. Post-eviction actions included forcibly removing locks placed by the IRS on one property and trespassing after damaging fencing.

Stephen Jackson is accused of sending a threatening message to an IRS specialist involved in this case on May 10, 2024.

The charges against both include conspiracy to defraud the United States and impeding internal revenue laws' administration. Additionally, William faces counts related to forcible rescue of seized property and bankruptcy fraud; Stephen faces a charge of making a threatening communication against a U.S. officer.

These charges are allegations at this stage; evidence must be presented during trial proceedings for determination of guilt or innocence.

Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert is prosecuting this case following investigations conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigations with support from other agencies including Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and Newton County Sheriff's Department.

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