Knox County Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Theft Charges

KNOXVILLE - The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to Wednesday’s guilty plea of Linda Guilliams Bunch, secretary of Peanuts Bail Bonds, for tax evasion and theft.

Knox County Judge Steven Sword accepted Bunch’s guilty plea to one count of tax evasion, a class E felony, and one count of theft, a class C felony. Judge Sword placed Bunch on three years of supervised probation and ordered her to pay $28,104 in restitution to the State of Tennessee. Judge Sword also ordered Bunch not to work in any capacity for a bonding company during the term of her probation.

“It is a felony for bail bond companies to collect bail bond tax from the public and then fail to remit it to the state,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said. “It is a breach of the public trust, and the Department of Revenue will never quit pursuing criminal sanctions to provide accountability for these actions.”

The Department pursued this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Charme Allen’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.

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