The IRS's Criminal Investigation Division gathered evidence at a local adult video store last week, closing it down for six hours. Owners of Sunshyne Video 2 were not told what the reasoning was, only that they has been served with a federal search warrant by the unit. The search was also assisted by local police.
According to The Daily Times, customers of Sunshyne Video 2 were turned away and asked to come back later last Wednesday as IRS criminal investigators perused the business' records.
"They explained they weren't there to shut me down," David Anderson, who owns the business with his wife Christie, told The Daily Times. "They just told me and my wife that they were looking for some records."
Anderson added that he is even unsure whether they were investigating his actions or the actions of his former employees. "There's just no telling," he said.
Supervisory Special Agent Jim Robnett would not disclose details of the search, saying only that it involved "a tax matter." The Daily Times reported that the search warrant remains sealed.
Jennifer Pollard, public information officer for the IRS, told The Daily Times that the criminal Investigation Division normally looks into possible tax violations including tax evasion, failing to file a tax return, filing a false return, as well as more serious crimes such as money laundering and structuring bank transactions to evade reporting requirements at banks.
Anderson told The Daily Times that he has retained a lawyer on the matter, but declined to name his counsel.
