Racing lawyer Alan Miller acquitted of tax-evasion charges
Alan Miller, a Michigan lawyer who represents several NASCAR Sprint Cup racers, including three-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer, was acquitted by a jury on conspiracy and tax-evasion charges associated with Helio Castroneves, The Associated Press reported Friday. The trial was held in U.S. District Court in Miami.
The 71-year-old Miller had been indicted for helping client Castroneves to avoid reporting $5.55 million in income to the Internal Revenue Service. Also indicted was Castroneves’ sister, Katiucia. Castroneves drives for Penske Racing in the IndyCar Series. He also won the 2007 title on the television show “Dancing With the Stars.”
"He has taken care of me for a long, long time and has done an amazing job," Johnson said Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. "I am glad that the judicial system was able work itself out and they were able to prove their case and work their way through it.
"Ithink everything went very very well. … A man with his status at his age to experience something like this, this late in his career, it has been really really tough on them and I am very very happy for him.”
Castroneves and his sister were acquitted on all charges except for a conspiracy charge; the jury could not come to a decision on the conspiracy charge, the AP reported.
In court filings, Miller’s attorneys argued that Miller’s advice was designed to defer the driver’s income and associated taxes, not to evade them.
Johnson was among the character witnesses whom Miller called to testify on his behalf.
"I just know what I have dealt with," Johnson said. " I am not familiar with [the] Helio situation. I was just asked to be a character witness and I was in and out and didn’t really get a feel for what was going on during the trial. But what I know of that man, how he has taken care of me and been an advisor for me. He is a conduit for me and somebody I get advice from when I need help with insurance, or I need held on buying a motorhome or negotiating a contract, has really been the most important thing I use him for.
“In general, he helps me kind of build my team and is a big part of my team. He’s always advised me with law in mind, utmost respect, integrity, all the things you would ever hope for. That is basically what I went down and said in court. [I'm] just happy that the jury and everybody involved was able to see that as well.”
