Notable Cases & Expertise
Tax Fraud, Tax Evasion and Failure to File
Our firm has represented numerous business owners, and individuals, charged with tax fraud, tax evasion and failure to file in federal courts across the country. We also have an active practice representing clients under investigation with the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS.
In 2019 alone, our firm persuaded CID to pull three cases out of the criminal investigation process and back under the civil division of the IRS.
In 2021, our firm represented a business owner out of Austin who was charged with various counts of filing a fraudulent return and tax evasion. The government alleged the client’s fraudulent behavior resulted in millions of dollars in unpaid taxes. After our criminal tax attorneys explained the intricacies of the tax code involved in the client’s business, the government dismissed the indictment. Dismissals are exceedingly rare in federal court. This result ended a multi-year journey for the business owner.
Health Care Fraud
Our firm has represented numerous physicians and clinics charged with health care fraud. In 2020, our firm obtained not guilty verdicts on all 25 counts of a health care fraud indictment. This win resulted in national recognition for our firm’s successful defense.
RICO and Environmental Crimes
Our firm tried the first RICO case in the Southern District of Texas, as well as one of the first “hate crime” cases in the country. While we have tried a number of tax crime cases, we have resolved a number of tax cases with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. or locally, with the U.S. Attorneys. We have been involved in a number of environmental crimes cases involving the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, representing large manufacturing and oil and gas companies – many of which were resolved without charges being filed.
Homicide and Major Offenses
We have tried three death penalty cases; one of which resulted in a “not guilty.” We have tried numerous non-death penalty capital murders in various counties throughout Texas, including two cases that received national attention. In 2020, our firm obtained a dismissal on a death penalty capital murder in federal court. This was the first dismissal of a federal death penalty case in decades.
In the course of our practice, we have tried a large number of cases – involving allegations from aggravated sexual of a child, possession of controlled substances, aggravated assault, aggravated robbery to driving while intoxicated – many of which resulted in “not guilty” verdicts. We tried one of the first Super Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child cases in Harris County. Furthermore, on more than one occasion, we were asked to be special prosecutors when the District Attorney’s Office had conflicts of interest, usually involving prosecution of assistant district attorneys or state agents.
Drug/Human Trafficking Crimes
We have tried numerous federal bank fraud, price fixing, money laundering, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases. We have tried numerous illegal drug trafficking cases involving large quantities of drugs. We have represented clients alleged to be involved in alien smuggling rings, appealing one successfully to the United States Supreme Court.
Presentations
We have been asked to present seminars and speak in public forums as well as national media including Dateline, the Today Show, 48 hours, and the Nancy Grace show. Wendell has authored three books concerning Pattern Jury Instructions, used by defense attorneys throughout the state of Texas.