Three members of an Arlington family are headed to federal prison after a judge said they turned the tax system into their personal cash machine. On Tuesday, the trio received sentences ranging from 38 months to 94 months behind bars, along with an order to pay back more than $1.7 million to the U.S. Treasury. Prosecutors say the group tried to squeeze roughly $8.5 million in bogus tax refunds from the government and then splurged on luxury goods and real estate.
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman handed down the sentences in Fort Worth, giving David Hunt 92 months, Corey Burt 94 months and Baylon Hunt 38 months, as reported by WFAA. The outlet reports that the court also ordered more than $1.7 million in restitution and notes that another convicted family member is still waiting to learn their fate at a sentencing hearing set for May 2026.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
According to prosecutors, the Hunts did not just cheat on a tax return or two. They allegedly filed about $8.5 million in fraudulent refund claims using the names of purported trusts, then collected just over $1.7 million. As detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, the money did not sit idle. Investigators say it flowed through various accounts and into cryptocurrency, furniture, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi.
Court records cited by federal prosecutors indicate that Brandon and Baylon submitted falsified financial instruments and altered money orders to the IRS. Even after the agency sent warning letters flagging the filings as bogus, officials say the defendants kept churning out false documents, testing the limits of the system until authorities shut it all down.
Convictions, acquittals and arrests
“Fraudulent tax schemes such as this rob the federal fisc and the American taxpayers,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas. A Fort Worth jury ultimately convicted four relatives of conspiracy to defraud the United States. David, Brandon and Corey were also found guilty on multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, while Baylon was acquitted on two of those aiding and assisting counts.
Prosecutors say three of the defendants did not stick around to hear all of the evidence at trial. According to officials, they fled mid trial, only to be tracked down and arrested later with help from the U.S. Marshals Service.
What comes next
The defendants now face not only prison terms but also restitution, potential fines and supervised release once they are out, and they may still pursue appeals. One convicted family member is scheduled to be sentenced in May 2026, according to WFAA. The IRS Criminal Investigation unit, which led the probe, has said the case highlights its effort to protect the integrity of the tax system. For the agency's own rundown of the prosecution, see IRS Criminal Investigation.
Local coverage
Hoodline previously dug into the jury's December verdict and how the government says the refunds were obtained. For more background on the case, see our earlier report on the December jury verdict.
