Ex-Realtor Board Official Guilty on 2 Tax Charges

A former president of the Antelope Valley Board of Realtors pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to file tax returns, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Lancaster real estate salesman Marvin J. McKinnon, 42, also admitted that he failed to file his 1986 through 1990 tax returns on time, and that he did not report about $500,000 in gross income on his 1989 to 1991 returns, Assistant U.S. Atty. Jerry Friedberg said Friday.

But under a plea agreement between McKinnon’s lawyers and federal prosecutors, McKinnon pleaded guilty Thursday only to not filing returns on time for two years, Friedberg said.

“He admitted in the plea agreement he underreported on his return but not that he did it willfully,” Friedberg said. “It may or may not make a difference at his sentencing.”

McKinnon faces as much as two years in prison when he is sentenced in February at U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Friedberg said.

“A lot of people fail to file their returns, and when they do so, they run the risk that our office might pick it up and they would face criminal charges,” Friedberg said.

McKinnon could not be reached for comment Friday.