A Phoenix social media influencer indicted by a federal grand jury last month entered a plea of not guilty during a court appearance Wednesday. The defendant is identified as 33-year-old Charles Davis Lewis.
Federal prosecutors allege Lewis made false statements on his tax returns by not fully reporting income he earned through Forever Investments LLC, an entity that posts videos featuring Davis to various social media platforms.
Judge's gavel beside U.S. tax forms (1040 series), illustrating the legal proceedings and alleged false statements on tax returns at the center of the Phoenix influencer case.
Prosecutors say Lewis failed to report an additional $807,142 in 2020 and $390,566 in 2021 to his tax preparer. Those amounts are cited in the federal indictment.
The indictment alleges that the unreported funds were moved into a mix of personal, business, brokerage and cryptocurrency accounts instead of being disclosed to the tax preparer.
If convicted on the charge of making false statements on tax returns, Lewis faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The indictment was returned after the Department of Justice established the National Fraud Enforcement Division on April 7. A booking photo and an image of Lewis in an orange jumpsuit were shown during court processing.
Mugshot (left) and orange-jumpsuit court escort photo (right) of the woman accused in the tax-return case, shown during booking and court processing; she has pleaded not guilty.
Lewis pleaded not guilty at the hearing Wednesday and the matter remains before the federal court.