Legal Analysis on Jason Williams trial, Day 4

FEDERAL TAX FRAUD TRIAL OF ORLEANS PARISH DA JASON WILLIAMS AND HIS LAW PARTNER. NICOLE BURDETT ARE FACING TAX FRAUD CHARGES JOINING US LIVE IN STUDIO. FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR. SEAN TOOMEY. LET’S JUST GET RIGHT TO IT YOUR IT IN YOUR CAREER AS A PROSECUTOR DOZENS PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF CASES. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE STRATEGIES SO FAR? I MEAN I GET WHAT THEY’RE DOING WHICH IS WHICH IS YOU KNOW COMING OUT WITH WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE THEIR STRONGEST WITNESS. OF COURSE, THEY THAT THEY’VE INTERVIEWED HENRY TIMOTHY REPEATEDLY, THEY’VE PREPPED HIM THE FACT THAT HE DIDN’T COME OUT WITH EXPLOSIVE TESTIMONY WAS A SURPRISE AND IT CERTAINLY BEGS THE QUESTION. IS THAT THE BEST THEY HAVE. YEAH. THAT’S WHAT YOU WERE SAYING. MAYBE THE IRS GUY THAT REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE IRS MAY BE A BETTER WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION. WELL, I THINK HE’S GOING TO DO A BETTER JOB AT POINTING OUT. HOW ABSURD THE DEDUCTIONS THAT WERE MADE IN THIS CASE AND JUST SHOW THE JURY THAT THIS IS ON ITS FACE LAUGHABLE THAT SOMEONE COULD BE MAKING AS MUCH MONEY AS JASON WAS AND PAYING US A LITTLE IN TAXES AND THAT IRS GUYS ON THE STAND RIGHT NOW. HE WAS THERE FOR THE BULK OF THE DAY. DO YOU THINK HE BECOMES I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT IT’S SHIFTING GEARS. DO YOU THINK HE BECOMES ALMOST A STAR WITNESS NOW FOR THE PROSECUTION WELL, YOU CERTAINLY GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT ONE. I MEAN HE’S GONNA BE ABLE TO AGAIN OUT THAT ON ITS FACE THE TAX RETURNS, YOU KNOW WERE QUESTIONABLE AND AT THE END OF THIS TRIAL IF NOTHING ELSE THE GOVERNMENT’S GOING TO BE ABLE TO ARGUE THAT LOOK EVEN IF JASON WILLIAMS NEVER HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE TAX PREPARER AND DIDN’T DIRECT HIM TO DO THIS THAT ONCE HE GOT THEM IN HIS HANDS. HE HAD TO HAVE KNOWN THIS IS ABSURD. YEAH BECAUSE HE’S A LAWYER AFTER ALL AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW HOW DOES THE PROSECUTION IN THE GOVERNMENT MOVE FORWARD FROM HERE? WHAT IS THE NEXT STRATEGY AND I DON’T WANT TO SAY REDEEM THEMSELVES BECAUSE YOU SAID IT’S AND TRIAL WE’VE STILL GOT A COUPLE OF DAYS AHEAD. HOW DO YOU MOVE FORWARD? WHAT’S THE NEXT MOVE? I MEAN, THEY’RE JUST GONNA KEEP MARCHING FORWARD. IT’S GETTING IN THE EVIDENCE. THEY’RE DOING THAT TODAY. WE HEARD FROM A COUPLE WITNESSES THAT HAD TO DEAL WITH THE CASH PAYMENTS AND I THINK THAT WAS IMPORTANT AND ALSO TOUCHED IN THAT TESTIMONY TOUCHED UPON THE INFLATED EXPENSES AS WELL. SO THERE’S STILL A LOT TO BE SEEN IN THIS TRAIL. LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS THE FIRST COUPLE OF COUNTS ARE TAX RELATED THE LAST THREE ARE TAKING CASH PAYMENTS NOT REPORTING IT THEY TOUCHED ON THAT TODAY. HOW HARD IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO DEFEND? IT HAS A FORMER PROSECUTOR. IS THAT WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT SAYING MAN? THIS IS WHAT WE COULD REALLY HANG THEM UP ON BECAUSE THIS IS ALMOST INDEFENSIBLE AT LEAST RIGHT NOW ON THE SURFACE. YES, AND NO, I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE AN EASY TIME ESTABLISHING THAT THEY RECEIVE THIS MONEY AND IN FACT TODAY ONE OF THE WITNESS INTRODUCED RECEIPT BOOKS. HE WAS A FORMER PARALEGAL AT THE AT THE WILLIAMS LAW FIRM SO THEY HAVE EVIDENCE OF WHAT CAME INTO THAT FIRM. OF COURSE, THE IRS HAS EVIDENCE THAT AT LEAST IN SOME INSTANCES. THERE WASN’T A CORRESPONDING FORM 8300 FILED SO THEY’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THAT I THINK THOUGH. IT’S STILL BECAUSE YOU KNOW AGAIN THE TESTIMONY TODAY FROM THAT SAME WITNESS WAS THAT ESPECIALLY NICOLE NICOLE BURDETT WHO WAS RUNNING THE OFFICE WAS MAKING REGULAR DEPOSITS AT THE BANK. AND SO SHE HAS NOW IS THE OPPORTUNITY AND HER TWO LAWYERS TO ARGUE THAT LOOK SHE’S AT THE BANK ALL THE TIME MAKING DEPOSITS AND MAYBE SHE FORGOT TO FILL OUT THESE FORMS ON A HANDFUL OF TIMES AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN’T ACCIDENTALLY COMMIT A CRIME. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, THAT’S THAT’S INTERESTING. SO THEY’RE JUST GOING TO LOOK AT IT SEAN TO ME.

Legal Analysis on Jason Williams trial, Day 4

Sean Toomey is a former federal prosecutor

Updated: 6:01 PM CDT Jul 21, 2022

Former federal prosecutor Sean Toomey, who worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Louisiana for over 10 years, is providing day-by-day trial analysis on the tax fraud trial of Jason Williams.Toomey is now a partner and handles white collar criminal defense work at Liskow & Lewis, a New Orleans-based firm.

NEW ORLEANS —

Former federal prosecutor Sean Toomey, who worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Louisiana for over 10 years, is providing day-by-day trial analysis on the tax fraud trial of Jason Williams.

Toomey is now a partner and handles white collar criminal defense work at Liskow & Lewis, a New Orleans-based firm.