By Tony McVeigh, Kentucky Public RadioA fledgling state revenue department investigative unit, created by the 2009 Kentucky General Assembly, is already showing impressive results. We get details from Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh.It’s called the Division of Special Investigations, and its charge is to root out tax cheats and present cases for criminal prosecution. Director Jason Snyder says, in its first year, the division identified and stopped payment on more than $300,000 in fraudulent tax refunds and collected over $325,000 in restitution. “We all know the state’s in a bad budget situation right now. We’ve actually brought in, in the past year, more money on these investigative cases than we’ve paid out in salaries to the people who have looked into them. So, it’s kind of a win/win for everybody,” he said.Division investigations have also led to 50 felony indictments for tax crimes. The division, which Snyder says has become a national model, also tracks down Kentucky residents who are trying to avoid state and local taxes by failing to properly register their motor vehicles.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.