JACKSON – The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to Martha Jane Blount pleading guilty this week to multiple tax charges.
On Monday, Judge Joseph Howell accepted Blount’s guilty plea to tax evasion charges. These charges stemmed from Blount filing false International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) returns on behalf of multiple businesses.
“The Department of Revenue strives to promote voluntary compliance of Tennessee’s tax laws by educating taxpayers and pursuing criminal sanctions for accountability of fraudulent actors,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano. said “This guilty plea underscores the department’s efforts to ensure fair administration of Tennessee’s tax laws.”
The department pursued the criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney General Jody Pickens’ 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, as well as the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2024 fiscal year, it collected $22.2 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $4.7 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.
