NEWS RELEASE

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

Contact: Stephanie Jones at (803) 898-5287 or joness@sctax.org

For Immediate Release: November 16, 2005

FORMER GOOD SAMARITAN MISSION CENTER LEADER ALBERT SALMON, JR.

ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE CHARGES

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Albert Salmon, Jr., former president and founder of the Good Samaritan Mission Center in Charleston, has been arrested on multiple charges and is currently being held on a $44,000 surety bond. 

South Carolina Department of Revenue and Secretary of State investigators have charged Salmon with four counts of income tax evasion and two counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent.  Salmon has also been charged with seven counts of giving false or misleading information to the Secretary of State's Office.

Salmon allegedly presented inaccurate information pertaining to the preparation of his individual income tax return for calendar years 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.  Based on the information he provided, each yearly return reflected Salmon's South Carolina taxable income as a negative amount, thus allowing him to have no tax liability.

In addition, the individual income tax returns indicated income from the Good Samaritan Mission Center was inaccurately reported each year.  According to the warrants, the investigation determined that Salmon had additional compensation above the amount claimed from the Mission Center, as well as other taxable sources of income.

By the submission of each tax return in which all sources of income were not reported, Salmon was charged with income tax evasion as defined in South Carolina Code Section 12-54-44(B)(1).

Salmon is also accused of two counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent as defined in South Carolina Code Section 16-13-230 (B)(3). 

As president and founder of the Good Samaritan Mission, Salmon had sole fiduciary responsibility to guard and protect the assets and funds of the non profit entity. However, he allegedly contracted on behalf of the Good Samaritan Mission center to sell property owned by the Mission, located at 3370 Cochise Street in Charleston, and then reportedly cashed the checks for personal use.

In addition, Salmon allegedly entered into an agreement to sell property he personally owned, located at 3375 Cochise Street in Charleston.  The HUD settlement sheet prepared by the attorney who was engaged to conduct the closing of the transaction indicated an amount due from Salmon in the amount of $35,255.04 – the amount of outstanding mortgages on the property at the time of sale. 

On the same day, he allegedly contracted on behalf of the Good Samaritan Mission Center, to sell property it owned located at 3360 Cochise Street in Charleston. Upon instructions from Salmon, the attorney used $35,255.04 of the Mission's profits to pay off his personal debts; the remaining profits were paid by a check to the Mission. 

In both charges, the investigation found no reimbursement to the Mission of the funds, as well as no indication on the books and records of the Mission of the transaction.  In addition, the sale of the Mission's property was not reflected on the Form 990 submitted to the South Carolina Secretary of State's Office, Charities Division.

Salmon is also charged with seven counts of giving false or misleading information to the Secretary of State's office.  In each charge, he allegedly did knowingly and willfully give false or misleading information to the Secretary of State's office in an annual financial report. 

"Financial reports filed in the Secretary of State's Office are public records that are used by donors across the state when making decisions to give to charitable organizations.  These reports must be correct and cannot be used to mislead the public, and we take violations very seriously," said Secretary of State Mark Hammond.

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