Jacksonville minister pleads guilty to obstructing IRS collection efforts in case citing $550,000–$1.5 million loss

Plea centers on alleged effort to block IRS from collecting a six-figure tax debt

A Jacksonville minister, Brian Carn Jr., has pleaded guilty in federal court to a tax offense tied to efforts to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service’s collection of his tax debts. Federal authorities said the conduct involved steps taken after the IRS moved to collect more than $600,000 in unpaid federal taxes connected to Carn’s 2015 tax year.

Prosecutors said Carn operated a ministry under multiple names, including Healing House Ministries, Inc., Brian Carn Ministries, Inc., and Kingdom Culture City Churches. Court records described the case as arising from events that began in 2016, when Carn filed a federal tax return for 2015 reporting more than $1.4 million in income and acknowledging a tax liability exceeding $600,000. Authorities said those taxes were not paid.

What investigators say happened after the IRS began collection actions

Authorities said the IRS later attempted to collect the unpaid taxes using standard collection tools, including placing liens on properties and attempting to levy bank accounts. A few months after those efforts began, prosecutors said Carn amended his 2015 return and removed nearly $1.3 million in income that had been reported earlier.

Federal filings described the amended return as supported by a purported employment agreement that was presented as backdated and fictitious. Prosecutors said Carn hired a new accountant and provided a document listing an annual salary of $120,000 and an annual parsonage allowance of $24,000, representing that this total was his entire income for the year.

• Authorities said Carn used the same income figure with third parties on credit applications, financial account openings, and lease applications.
• Federal records stated Carn knew his actual income exceeded the salary and allowance reflected in the document.

Allegations extend beyond the 2015 amendment

Prosecutors said that in subsequent years Carn filed additional tax returns that significantly underreported income, based on the premise of the purported employment arrangement. Authorities also said he stopped filing tax returns in 2020 while continuing to earn income and using ministry funds to pay personal expenses.

Federal authorities estimated the tax loss attributed to the obstruction conduct at between $550,000 and $1.5 million.

Potential penalty and what comes next

The offense carries a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been announced in public statements about the case.

The investigation was handled by IRS Criminal Investigation. Prosecutors involved in the case include attorneys from the Justice Department’s Tax Division, working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.