In federal court, a San Jose chiropractor, Tae Hyun Lee, has owned up to tax fraud charges. According to details released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, Lee pled guilty to aiding and assisting in preparing and presenting a false tax return for 2019, admitting to a deliberate concealment of income from his chiropractic business.
Court documents reveal that between 2018 and 2020, Lee cashed checks totaling over $1.4 million at a check-cashing service, bypassing his practice's official bank account. Furthermore, he deposited certain checks and electronic payments directly into his accounts. Lee falsely informed his tax preparer that all business income was accounted for in the business bank account, prompting tax returns that significantly undervalued his taxable income and taxes owed. This discrepancy led to a substantial tax loss for the IRS, amounting to at least $439,028.
Lee's guilty plea pertains to one count of aiding and assisting in preparing a false tax return, a violation carrying a potential maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment. His sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts on September 24, 2025. Despite the guilty plea, the final sentence will be subject to guidelines and statutes, namely the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The announcement related to Lee's case was made by Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins, and IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge of the Oakland Field Office, Linda Nguyen. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Pitman, with Sahib Kaur assisting, an outcome stemming from an IRS-CI investigation.
