The Home Sale That Never Was
One of the more audacious parts of the scheme, prosecutors said, involved pretending to sell his home to pay off tax debts. For six years, Melton told the IRS the house was on the market—while continuing to live in it, pricing it 20% higher than its IRS-assessed value, and forbidding his Realtor from putting up signs or listing it publicly.
He claimed this was a mere attempt to “maximize value,” but prosecutors called it deliberate obstruction.
“He spent six years only pretending to sell the home,” prosecutors said, “all while paying the taxpayers nothing.”
Shadow Companies and Family Fronts
Melton further drew scrutiny for transferring clients to Gryphon Partners, a company owned by his wife but allegedly controlled and operated by him. He claimed this move was for reasons unrelated to tax evasion, and also to avoid alimony payments—a claim that, prosecutors said, clashed with his image as a “family-first” man.
At one point, his tax debt exceeded $2 million, according to court documents.
Melton’s request for home confinement was denied, though the judge did not impose the 30-month sentence federal prosecutors recommended. His prison term begins in November.
