A former Seattle Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent is in hot water after being accused of taking bribes for a marijuana dispensary owner. Recent updates show that the agent was now handed before and judge. Meanwhile, defendant's lawyers react to the bribery charge.
Paul G. Hurley is set to face trial this week due to bribery charge of soliciting and accepting $20, 000 as reported by Komono News. The former IRS agent audited Have a Heart Compassion Care last year and have told the owner, Ryan Kunkel, that the he's in debt for almost $300,000 for taxes in fiscal years 2013 and 2014. Now, the latter said that Hurley suggested that for leniency, Kunkel should agree to pay off the agent's student loan debt and court documents allege. Thinking it was a bad idea, the owner just agreed to pay Hurley $20, 000 dollars but afterwards, Kunkel went to the U.S. Attorney's Office to take his own action with law enforcement.
ABC News reported that later news involved the FBI agents and two assistant attorneys, Justin Arnold and Francis Nakamura. Last September, the FBI agents busted Hurley after meeting at Starbucks in which Kunkel handed him an envelope which he sealed in his backpack. Hurley was arrested on the second meeting after he went out from the car of Kunkel. Following this, the IRS agent handed his resignation saying that he has no place in the federal service and is disgusted on the course of his actions.
In defense, Hurley's attorneys denied allegations of a bribe but rather a job offer as written by Yahoo. Defense Attorneys John Henry Browne and Michael Lee said that Kunkel's $20,000 are payment to his accounting services and had no impact with Hurley's duties. They added that the government had tricked Hurley into accepting the bribe money. Jury selection for this case is scheduled on Monday with judge John C. Coughenour addressing the case.
Former Seattle IRS agent, Paul Hurley, is scheduled to be brought before a judge after being arrested on allegedly taking bribes from a business owner. The former was an accountant service of Ryan Kunkel and was said to have taken a bribe amounting to $20,000 dollars. However, the defendants stated that this is a payment for his service with Kunkel. The trial is scheduled for Monday with the charges of federal agent accepting bribes carrying up to 15 years in prison.
