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Michael Jackson’s former GM under Probation for Non-filing of Taxes
Michael Jackson’s former general manager, Raymone Bain was put under probation by a judge for failing to file her income tax for the years 2006 to 2008. Click here to watch or read more information on IRS Back Taxes.
US Magistrate judge Alan Kay sentenced Bain to five years’ probation and fined her $202,422 in back taxes to the IRS and the District of Columbia. In a tearful response to the charges against her, Bain claimed that her failure to file her taxes was due to being unable to cope with Jackson’s financial affairs and the ailing health of her mother.
Prosecutors said Bain earned $30,000 a month as general manager of Michael Jackson Co. and pressed for a deterrent sentence of one and a half years. Prosecutor Karen Kelly told the judge, “It’s important that the law-abiding taxpayers of the United States are not dupes for following the law”.
Bain has also not filed her taxes for 2009 and 2010. But she said she had already done so through her attorney after her sentencing, which brings her tax filings current.
Bain runs a public relations firm in the District of Columbia from the basement of her house and her clientele includes well-known personalities like Serena Williams, R&B group Boyz II Men and Washington mayor and councilman Marion Barry. She pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to file her taxes, one for the IRS and the other to the District of Columbia.
Bain was promoted by Jackson to head his company after his child molestation case in 2006 which was settled out of court. According to Bain, she subsequently helped Jackson rebuild his reputation and restore his finances. She also promoted Jackson’s CD commemorating the 25th anniversary of the pop star’s “Thriller” album, arranged for the refinancing of a loan to keep the Beatles’ song catalogue and negotiated a series of concerts in London that were later cancelled due to Jackson’s death. In 2009, Bain sued Jackson for $44 million for money she said he owed him for arranging all the deals. But Jackson’s estate’s lawyers succeeded in getting the case thrown out of the court.
The pop star’s untimely death took place within 6 months of Bain’s own mother’s death from Alzheimer’s in 2009. “Addressing their needs, your honor, became my mission,” said Bain with her voice filled with emotion. But judge Kay said being busy with those matters was no excuse for not filing taxes, especially since Bain had staff and resources at her disposal.
Prosecutors allegedly found $1.3 million in deposits said to be controlled by Bain during the years she did not file taxes. But Bain denied earning $1.3 million in income during those years. In any case, prosecutors said even though the deposits might have included business expenditures but they still indicate significant enough income to require filing tax returns.
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