NEWS RELEASE

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

Public Affairs Office                   Phone (803) 898-5464

Contact: Danny Brazell                  Fax (803) 898-5446

                                                    Email: brazeld@sctax.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 26, 2003

Galivants Ferry man charged with filing fraudulent tax returns

      A Galivants Ferry man was arrested today after South Carolina Department of Revenue investigators charged him with submitting fraudulent state income tax returns and fraudulent receipts.

       Archie Michael Barnhill, 52, was released from the Horry County Detention Center on a personal recognizance bond.  Barnhill is charged with two counts of filing a fraudulent tax return and two counts of submitting fraudulent receipts.  

      Barnhill is accused of failing to report income of $29,651 on his 1996 state individual income tax return and $54,420 on his 1997 individual income tax return. According to the Department of Revenue investigation, Barnhill received the unreported income by filing fraudulent crop insurance claims under another person's name and social security number. Barnhill also is accused of submitting fraudulent purchase receipts to the Department of Revenue to avoid paying taxes. Department investigators determined that no actual business had been conducted with the owner of the farm listed on the fraudulent sales receipts submitted by Barnhill to the Department.

      If convicted, Barnhill faces up to four years in prison and fines of up to $20,000

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