Davidson County Bail Bondsman Charged With Bail Bond Tax Evasion, Money Laundering And Theft

NASHVILLE - The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to the indictment and arrest of Tesniem Shinawi, corporate officer of AL’s EZ Bonding in Nashville.  Shinawi surrendered to Special Agents on August 9, 2016.  Shinawi is one of the owners of Al’s EZ Bonding Company located in Nashville. 

On August 5, 2016, a Davidson County Grand Jury indicted Tesniem Shinawi on 24 felony counts of filing false tax returns, five felony counts of money laundering, and one felony count of theft of property more than $10,000.  Bond for Shinawi was set at $50,000.

If convicted, Shinawi could be sentenced to a maximum of 12 years in the state penitentiary and fined up to $25,000 for money laundering. Additionally, Shinawi could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in the state penitentiary and fined up to $3,000 for each count of attempted tax evasion. 

“When bail bond tax is collected from the public and not remitted to the state, it is a breach of public trust and a crime,” said Revenue Commissioner Richard H. Roberts. “The Department of Revenue aggressively pursues criminal sanctions and demands accountability for these actions.”

The Department is pursuing this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Glenn Funk’s office. Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee's revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2016 fiscal year, it collected $13.5 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $2.6 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the Department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.