Sedita Charles Cayson, 59, from Panacea, Florida, was convicted by a federal judge on five counts of willfully failing to file income tax returns for the years 2017 through 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The guilty verdict was handed down after a day-and-a-half bench trial. Testimony revealed that Cayson, a real estate agent known as the “Land Man,” had a long history of neglecting his tax obligations.
Evidence showed that Cayson had been previously assessed federal tax liens by the IRS for delinquencies dating back to the years 2004-2007 and 2011-2013. Despite earning over $150,000 annually in real estate commissions, Cayson deliberately chose not to file his tax returns for five consecutive years.
Prosecutors detailed how, beginning in 2017, Cayson instructed his broker to split his commission checks into smaller amounts under $10,000. He then immediately cashed these checks at a bank, a tactic designed to evade his tax duties.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that Cayson’s actions were intentional, aimed at avoiding tax obligations and undermining the nation’s tax system.
Cayson is scheduled for sentencing on February 24, 2025, at 2 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle at the federal courthouse in Tallahassee. He faces up to one year in federal prison, a fine of $25,000 for each count, and up to one year of supervised release.