L.A. Civil Rights Attorney Yagman Indicted for Tax Evasion

Prominent Los Angeles civil rights attorney Stephen Yagman was indicted on charges of trying to evade paying more than $100,000 in federal income taxes, as well as fraud and money laundering charges:

The indictment alleged Yagman filed federal income tax returns for 1994 through 1997 but paid only a small amount to the IRS. By not paying the full amount, he owed nearly $160,000 because of interest and penalties, according to the government. He also failed to pay significant amounts of federal payroll taxes owed by Yagman & Yagman P.C., which was his law firm at the time, the indictment said....

"He is one of the few people ever charged with not paying all of the tax he correctly declared on his returns," Yagman's attorney, Barry Tarlow, said in a statement. "A comprehensive defense investigation demonstrated that Stephen Yagman is an innocent man wrongly accused."  Yagman's attorney accused the government of waging a political prosecution against someone who has repeatedly fought abuse by the government....

Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson said Yagman "painted a target on himself by the nature of his practice and the manner in which he practiced: extremely aggressive, very personal, enjoying the fight. Now he is on the opposite end of it."

Press reports:

• Associated Press
• L.A. Times
• WSJ Law Blog