Incline author confesses to tax evasion for business

Nationally known author Dale Brown of Incline Village has pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns for his corporation Target Direct Productions.

Brown is a popular author of a number of thrillers based on his knowledge and experience as a former U.S. Air Force pilot. His books include "Wings of Fire," "Warrior Class" and "Battle Born."

According to Special IRS Agent Erick Martinez and U.S. Attorney Karin Immergut, Brown, 47, used an offshore tax evasion scheme designed to allow him to deduct fictitious expenses totaling nearly $342,000 for research, marketing and contract services paid to a foreign corporation in the West Indies which they say was established to further the scheme.

Brown admitted during his guilty plea that he knew when he signed corporate returns those returns contained fictitious services and that claiming them as deductions was illegal.

He also deducted $106,314 for a fictitious insurance policy, according to IRS officials, as a business expense on Target Direct's corporate return.

He will be sentenced Aug. 9 in Portland, Ore.