Springfield Man Sentenced for Tax Evasion
Burton Cummings, 43, receives 12 months and one day in prison for evading federal and state income taxes.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Taxes
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A 43-year-old Springfield, Missouri, business owner was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release after being convicted of tax evasion. He was also ordered to pay $376,411.56 in restitution to the United States and the State of Missouri.
Why it matters
The sentence reflects federal enforcement against intentional failure to pay income taxes over multiple years. The restitution order seeks to recover unpaid federal and state taxes owed to both governments.
Cummings was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool after a single tax evasion conviction. The restitution figures of $326,290.56 owed to the United States and $50,171.00 owed to Missouri are final as ordered by the court.
The players
Burton Cummings
A 43-year-old Springfield, Missouri, business owner who was convicted of one count of tax evasion.
Douglas Harpool
A U.S. District Judge who imposed the sentence in the Western District of Missouri.
Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation
The federal criminal enforcement arm of the Internal Revenue Service that investigated the case.
Missouri Department of Revenue
The state agency that co-investigated the case and is owed restitution.
The details
Cummings intentionally evaded paying federal and state income taxes and failed to pay yearly income taxes from 2013 through 2024, except for tax years 2015 and 2016. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Missouri Department of Revenue and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney.
Timeline
2013 to 2024: Cummings failed to pay yearly income taxes, except for tax years 2015 and 2016.
November 5, 2026: Cummings was sentenced before Judge Douglas Harpool in the Western District of Missouri.
Legal Context
Tax evasion prosecutions in federal court typically involve sustained non-payment rather than a single year's error, as this case did across 2013 to 2024. The sentence and restitution order show how federal and state recovery efforts are coordinated when both governments are owed unpaid taxes.
Residents who owe back income taxes to the federal or Missouri governments face enforcement similar to what this case shows. Those with unpaid tax balances over multiple years can be subject to criminal referral as well as civil collection.
The takeaway
Filing and paying income taxes each year matters, since failure to pay over multiple years can lead to federal criminal charges and court-ordered restitution. Taxpayers with unpaid balances should contact the IRS or their state revenue department to discuss payment options before problems escalate.
Further reading
Explore more on Taxes in the Springfield section of our finance coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The United States Department of Justice.
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