Former District Attorney Sentenced for Tax Fraud

DeSoto Parish's former District Attorney has been sentenced for filing a false tax return.

According to information provided by IRS Special Agent Jimmy Sandefur, 58-year-old Richard Z. Johnson, Jr., of Mansfield will serve one year and one day in prison and has to pay more than $275,000 in restitution. He's also sentenced to one year of supervised release.

Johnson pled guilty September 21, 2015, to filing a false income tax return. Information presented at the guilty plea indicates Johnson reported a total income of $126,197 on his 2011 federal tax return, but failed to report additional income of $78,717.

"The filing and timely payment of income tax returns is an obligation that all Americans should take seriously," said Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Jerome McDuffie. "Mr. Johnson is an attorney, a long-time prosecutor and was well aware of these requirements. One of the responsibilities of citizenship is to abide by our nation's tax laws. Our agency will continue to work with the United States Attorney's Office to aggressively investigate allegations of tax crimes and prosecute those who fail to file returns and pay their fair share. Today's sentence is a reminder that no one is above the law."

The Louisiana Supreme Court has suspended Johnson from practicing law.