After hearing from dozens of witnesses over 13 days of testimony, the federal government now alleges that pastors Anthony and Harriet Jinwright concealed far more income – and owe far more in back taxes – than originally alleged in their multi-count indictment.
In wrapping up its case against the Jinwrights Monday, prosecutors called as their summary witness an IRS agent named Linda Polk.
Polk, who said she has been with the agency since 1975, had sat throughout the trial in the front row of the gallery, just behind the prosecutors’ table. Her job, it turned out, was to listen to testimony and recalculate the government’s financial tally against the Jinwrights.
Polk told jurors Monday that, based on evidence presented, the Jinwrights had “unreported income/excessive deductions” totaling $2,481,529 from 2002 and 2007. The government’s earlier estimate was $1.8 million.
Based on that higher figure, she said, the couple owes $664,352 in additional taxes, up from $85,000 mentioned in the indictment.
Polk did not give a breakdown for the “unreported income/excessive deductions” but said all of the excessive deductions came from the couple overstating how much they gave in charitable donations to Greater Salem.
Starting today, lawyers representing the Jinwrights will begin calling witnesses. Also today, Judge Frank Whitney must decide whether to allow the defense teams to call certain individuals who would testify as expert witnesses.
