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Former State Sen. Dawson gets prison for tax evasion
By Palm Beach Business.com
FORT LAUDERDALE — A former Florida state senator is heading to prison.
Federal Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. on Friday sentenced Muriel Amanda “Mandy” Dawson to six months in prison, plus two years of supervised release for income tax evasion and failing to file tax returns. Dawson pleaded guilty to the charges in April. She faced a maximum of five years in prison on the tax evasion charge and one year for failing to file.
Exactly a year ago, a federal grand jury charged Dawson with failing to declare income from 2004 through 2008. Among the charges: Dawson received nearly $103,000 from various organizations in 2005 yet did not file a tax return. She was a member of the state senate in 2004 and 2005, representing portions of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Dawson gained notice as the first black woman ever to be elected to the Legislature from Broward County. She became known as an advocate for the poor but also criticized for poor attendance during sessions. In 2005, the Senate censored Dawson for soliciting $5,000 from a lobbyist to cover the expense of a trip to South Africa for herself and a friend.
In 2002, Dawson was arrested in Tallahassee in for allegedly altering a prescription for painkillers. She spent a year in rehab after admitting that she had become addicted to the prescription drugs while being treated for a degenerative disc in her neck.
She serving 10 years in the House and eight in the Senate befpre retiring because of term limits.
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