CAR-HIT-U attorney Carl Collins III indicted for tax fraud

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - Michigan personal injury attorney Carl Collins III was indicted this week for tax fraud. 

Collins is alleged to have failed to report approximately $550,000 in income with the IRS in 2012. Collins allegedly deposited most of this unreported income into an attorney trust account, which he failed to disclose to the Michigan State Bar Foundation and his tax return preparer. 

The indictment further alleges that Collins evaded personal income taxes for 2015 by depositing approximately $580,000 of income into his undisclosed attorney trust account and using much of the money to purchase real estate.  

The indictment also charges that, in 2017, Collins filed a false delinquent tax return for 2015.

The indictment further alleges that Collins willfully failed to timely file tax returns for several years for both himself and his corporations. Specifically, Collins failed to timely file his individual tax returns for 2013 through 2015, corporate income tax returns for his medical company Alpha Living LLC for 2013 through 2015, and corporate income tax returns for his other medical company MedCity Rehabilitation Services LLC for 2013.

He's facing charges of tax evasion, filing two false tax returns and seven counts of willfully failing to file individual and corporate tax returns.

If convicted, Collins faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the tax evasion count, three years for each of the false return counts, and one year for each of the failure to file counts.  He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

Collins' law office is located in Southfield. He's most recognized for his phone number seen on billboards and commercials across metro Detorit, 855-CAR-HIT-YOU.