Former Prince George's Cop Headed To Prison For Tax Evasion, Failed To Report $1.3M

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A former Prince George's County Police Department lieutenant will spend time in federal prison for tax evasion after prosecutors say he failed to report more than $1.3 million in income from his private security business.

Edward Scott Finn, 48, of Dunkirk happens to be a former lieutenant with the Prince George’s County Police Department and owned and operated Edward Finn Inc., a private security company. According to his plea agreement and other court documents, from approximately December 26, 1995, to April 26, 2021, Finn was a member of the Prince George’s County Police Department and was allowed to work part-time outside employment. He also employed off-duty law enforcement officers to provide security services to apartment complexes and other businesses, primarily in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, to manage and operate his business.

Finn admitted that he underreported a total of more than $1.3 million of EFI income on his 2014 through 2019 individual income tax returns, according to court documents. Finn also deposited checks payable to EFI into personal bank accounts or non-EFI bank accounts over which Finn had signature authority. Finn created false business expenses to lower his taxes due by writing checks to relatives and friends for alleged services performed and used business funds to purchase a boat, a car and other items for his personal use.

The underreported income resulted in a total tax loss to the government of $367,765.

Finn has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for the tax evasion charge. He also must pay restitution in the full amount of the loss - $367,765.

“Law enforcement officers are not above the law and we will hold them accountable—as we would anyone—for their criminal actions," United States Attorney Erek L. Barron said.