In the legal world, few offenses are as destructive as exploiting professional expertise for outright fraud, especially when it targets the government and involves flagrant deceit. The disciplinary case of Michael L. Meyer, a Florida attorney and CPA, represents one of the most egregious examples of professional misconduct in recent years, resulting from his multi-million dollar tax evasion scheme known as the “Ultimate Tax Plan.”
Meyer’s case is not just about a lawyer losing his license; it is about a calculated, decade-long plot that leveraged his dual credentials to facilitate massive fraud, costing the U.S. Treasury millions and leading to his federal criminal conviction.
The Anatomy of a $35 Million Fraud
Beginning around 2013 and continuing for several years, Michael L. Meyer marketed the “Ultimate Tax Plan” to high-net-worth clients, promising a guaranteed way to reduce their taxes. The core of the scheme was based on a lie: claiming massive charitable contribution deductions for donations that were never genuinely made.
1. The Deceptive “Donations”
Meyer’s plan involved creating shell entities and using boilerplate paperwork to make it appear as though clients were donating valuable property to a network of charities. The crucial problem was that these were not legitimate, arms-length transactions:
- Controlled Charities: Meyer himself controlled the “charities” that received the purported donations, often installing family members or associates as directors while retaining full operational control.
- Retained Control: Despite the paperwork, clients retained complete control and use of the assets they supposedly donated. Meyer then improperly advised clients they could access these assets through “tax-free loans” or buy them back at deep discounts.
2. Pattern of Obstruction and Non-Compliance
Meyer’s misconduct escalated beyond the initial fraud. When the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a civil suit to shut down the scheme, Meyer engaged in acts of obstruction:
- Fabricated Documents: He was found to have created false and backdated documents and instructed his clients to submit this fabricated evidence to the DOJ and the IRS during civil subpoenas and audits.
- Ignoring Warnings: The IRS repeatedly audited Meyer’s charities and concluded the “Ultimate Tax Plan” was an “economic sham.” Meyer acknowledged these findings, agreed to close the bogus charities, but then simply created new ones to continue the fraud, ignoring a “chorus of people” who warned him the plan was illegal.
3. The Proceeds of Crime
The scheme was highly lucrative for Meyer. He earned more than $10 million from selling the fraudulent plan, funds he used to acquire a lavish lifestyle, including a multi-million-dollar estate and a collection of luxury vehicles like Lamborghinis and Rolls Royces. Conversely, the scheme was estimated to have cost the U.S. Treasury over $35 million in lost tax revenue.
The Final Reckoning: Suspension, Resignation, and Prison
The consequences for Meyer were total, spanning both the professional disciplinary system and the federal criminal courts:
- Criminal Conviction: Michael L. Meyer pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Tax Evasion. He was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his crimes, with a restitution amount to be determined.
- Professional Disgrace (Multi-Jurisdictional):
- Permanent Injunction: A federal court permanently barred him from selling tax plans or providing tax advice to anyone but himself.
- Indiana & Kentucky: Meyer resigned from the bar in Indiana, admitting he could not defend himself against the misconduct allegations. Both the Indiana and Kentucky Supreme Courts imposed a five-year ineligibility for reinstatement, effectively ending his legal career in those states.
Conclusion: Trust, Betrayal, and the Role of the Bar
The disciplinary and criminal actions against Michael L. Meyer serve as a definitive lesson on the absolute necessity of ethical conduct in the legal and financial sectors. Meyer used his respected positions as an attorney and CPA not to help clients navigate complex laws, but to sell them a blueprint for illegality while enriching himself.
His case underscores a painful truth: a professional license is a privilege, not a shield. When a lawyer commits criminal acts, especially those involving dishonesty and systematic fraud, the disciplinary system will move decisively. Meyer’s eight-year prison sentence and his permanent loss of the ability to practice law are the just and necessary outcomes for one who treated the bedrock of legal and financial trust as a tool for personal greed.