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 of William L. Byles, President of A-Luv Bail Bond, Inc.  Byles was booked into the Davidson County Jail on September 28, 2016.

On September 23, 2016, a Davidson County Grand Jury indicted Byles on twenty Class E felony counts of filing false tax returns, five Class B felony counts of money laundering, and one Class C felony count of theft of property more than $10,000. Bond for Byles was set at $25,000.   

If convicted, Byles could be sentenced to a maximum of twelve years in the state penitentiary and fined up to $25,000 for each count of money laundering; sentenced to a maximum of six years in the state penitentiary and fined up to $10,000 for theft; and 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.