Former Florida state Senator Mandy Dawson plans to plead guilty in tax evasion case

Handcuffs on black close up 640x480_20100601092313_JPG

Photographer: AP Graphics Bank
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Regular Photo Size

Posted: 02/06/2012

By Paula McMahon, Sun Sentinel

Former state Sen. Mandy Dawson plans to plead guilty in a federal case that accuses her of income tax evasion, according to court records filed Monday.

Dawson, 55, was arrested in July on federal charges of tax evasion and failing to file tax returns while she was an elected official in 2004 and 2005. She was charged as a result of the federal corruption investigation that led to the arrest and imprisonment of former Hollywood eye doctor and political fundraiser Dr. Alan Mendelsohn.

The former lawmaker wants a judge to give her and her federal public defender an extra two months to figure out details of the proposed plea agreement, including precisely how much she would owe the IRS, according to the court records.

Dawson, who now lives in Daytona Beach, is free on bond while the charges are pending. A Democrat, she spent six years in the state House followed by 10 years in the state Senate where she represented Broward and Palm Beach counties until 2008.

The requested delay is partly because Dawson "does not have a reliable means of transportation and has been undergoing medical treatment," her attorney wrote.