Special counsel David Weiss has indicted Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, on multiple tax charges. Smirnov, previously accused of fabricating bribery claims against Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, faces allegations of significant tax fraud.
According to a 27-page indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Smirnov, a Los Angeles resident originally from the USSR, earned over $2.3 million between 2020 and 2022. However, he reported only $40,000 to $50,000 annually from his consulting business, claiming a mere $5,269 in total tax liabilities.
Prosecutors assert Smirnov earned his income through various sources funneled into a Delaware-based company, Avalon Group, Inc., where he was the sole officer and CEO. Despite substantial revenues—$1.35 million in 2020, $684,000 in 2021, and $300,000 in 2022—Avalon allegedly never filed corporate tax returns. Instead, Smirnov reportedly used company funds for lavish personal expenses, including purchasing a $1.4 million Las Vegas condominium, a Bentley, and luxury goods for himself and his domestic partner.
The indictment highlights that funds were often co-mingled with his partner’s personal bank account, a practice that can indicate misuse of corporate resources for personal benefit. Prosecutors also allege Smirnov circumvented bank oversight by hiring and firing an employee to sidestep scrutiny.
When filing personal tax returns, Smirnov allegedly provided false information, refused to substantiate income figures, and instructed his tax preparer to delete correspondence. The indictment states the preparer refused to sign the returns due to insufficient documentation. Smirnov’s filings claimed implausibly low income—$8,020 in 2020, $122 in 2021, and $23,232 in 2022—after deducting fictitious expenses.
The charges include three counts of filing false personal tax returns, three counts of filing false returns for his partner, one count for a related business, and three counts of tax evasion.
This is not Smirnov’s only legal battle. In February, he was accused of fabricating claims that the Bidens were bribed by executives from the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. These allegations suggested that Joe Biden, as vice president, pressured Ukraine to fire Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin to protect Burisma, where Hunter Biden served on the board. Prosecutors contend these claims were false.
Read the indictment here.
