National Football League
Report: Mitchell faces federal charges
National Football League

Report: Mitchell faces federal charges

Published Mar. 6, 2012 12:00 a.m. ET

Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell faces federal tax fraud charges for allegedly recruiting professional athletes in a scheme to get false tax returns.

Mitchell and two other people, Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls, face federal charges in Florida, according to an indictment obtained by WTXF-TV.

The indictment filed by the US attorney in Orlando said a company set up by Mitchell, Chameleon Enterprises, was involved in the alleged scam.

The target of the alleged scheme was a professional athlete with the initials A.G., who investigators said had no knowledge of the scam, but paid for a firm connected with Mitchell to do his taxes.

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According to the indictment, the plan was to file false federal tax returns electronically.

Russ-Walls and Walls allegedly filed the returns, claiming refunds ranging from $170,000 to $1.9 million. The two men also attached false documents to support the refund claims, according to the indictment.

The two men enlisted Mitchell to recruit professional athletes as tax-return customers.

A meeting was set up with the professional athlete, where Russ-Walls claimed she was a trained tax preparer who dealt with professional athletes.

Mitchell then took a $100,000 down payment for tax preparations from A.G., and either Russ-Walls or Walls then filed false tax returns without A.G.'s knowledge.

Russ-Walls was to get $600,000 and Mitchell about $280,000 from the false refund.

In addition, Russ-Walls or Walls filed false returns for Mitchell's company, Chameleon Enterprises, claiming more than $2 million in refunds.

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