Vinings Doctor Arraigned on Tax Fraud

ATLANTA, GA –Dr. Michael Jon Kell has been arraigned on four counts of tax evasion and one count of interfering with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws.

Kell, of Vinings, allegedly engaged in a two-decade scheme to evade federal taxes by funneling millions of dollars in assets through a church he created.

“Kell claimed a vow of poverty, but allegedly funneled over $2 million through a church he controlled to avoid paying income taxes on the money he earned,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “With the deadline for filing your 2015 tax return only days away, we urge citizens in our district to think twice about the potential consequences of not truthfully reporting their income and paying their taxes.”

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: The indictment alleges the lengths to which Kell went to avoid paying taxes. Although no longer a practicing medical doctor, he developed numerous patented technologies and was a consultant, which generated millions of dollars in income over the years. To hide this income, he founded and served as the “pastor” of the First Meliorite Church, a church he claimed was a branch of the Universal Life Church.

Claiming to be under a “vow of poverty” that precluded him from earning income, Kell directed his substantial income and assets into bank accounts belonging to the church—all of which were under Kell’s exclusive control. He used these accounts to cover all of his personal expenses including; overseas vacations, dining out, high-end clothing purchases, online dating services, and private school tuition for his children. Kell also transferred ownership of his multi-million dollar residence in Vinings, Georgia, several times over the years to various entities he created and controlled, all in an effort to protect that property from creditors, including the Internal Revenue Service.