A 51-year-old former Internal Revenue Service employee who built a second career preparing taxes in Denver is now facing a dozen federal charges accusing him of laundering money for drug dealers through his own tax firm. Clinton Dale, who once worked inside the IRS as a contact representative and revenue agent, stands accused of creating fake businesses and false returns to disguise where his clients' cash really came from.
A federal grand jury indicted Dale on 12 counts of willfully preparing false tax returns and money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, as reported by FOX31 Denver. Dale owned Blue Bear Tax Solutions, a Denver tax preparation business, and the indictment alleges he created a plan to hide the true income sources of certain clients — some of whom made money through illegal drug sales.
Fake Businesses, False Deductions
Prosecutors allege Dale created fake businesses for these clients and then prepared false individual tax returns on their behalf, claiming the money came from legal activities rather than illicit drug sales. He allegedly also claimed improper business expense deductions to lower the amount of tax owed, per the same account from FOX31 Denver's report.
Dale's own history inside the agency he's now accused of defrauding adds an unusual wrinkle to the case. He worked as a contact representative and revenue agent for the IRS for more than a decade before resigning in 2014 in lieu of termination, the station's report notes.
From Classroom to Federal Agent to Candidate
Before joining the IRS in 2001, Dale worked as a teacher, and he holds a Master of Business Administration in business and finance from Regis University in Denver, according to Local Candidates. That financial education background formed the foundation for Blue Bear Tax Solutions once he left federal service.
Dale's public profile extended well beyond tax preparation. He also founded the Blue Bear Foundation, a Denver nonprofit aimed at helping minority and veteran women with personal finance tutoring and advocacy, Local Candidates reports. And in the 2026 election cycle, he ran as an unaffiliated candidate for the U.S. Senate in Colorado.
What Dale Is Facing in Court
The false-return counts accuse Dale of willfully preparing or subscribing to false tax returns. The money laundering counts carry a statutory maximum of up to 20 years in federal prison per count.
Part of a Broader Federal Push
The case fits a pattern of IRS Criminal Investigation's Denver Field Office targeting dishonest tax preparers in Colorado. Hoodline previously reported that a Littleton tax preparer was sentenced to three years in federal prison in March 2025 for filing false Schedule C returns. Federal agents in Colorado have also used tax statutes before to unwind drug-related financial concealment, including a 2016 case in which a defendant pleaded guilty to hiding illicit drug profits from the IRS, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
The indictment alleges that Dale prepared tax returns for clients, some of whom made money through illegal drug sales.
