The Texan businessman Robert Brockman was accused Thursday, October 15 by the American justice of having for twenty years hidden at least 2 billion dollars from the tax authorities via accounts abroad, according to a complaint consulted by AFP . The authorities accuse him of having used between 1999 and 2019 a network of bank accounts based abroad, in Bermuda and in Switzerland in particular, to conceal the profits generated by his investments in various companies, including the Vista Equity Partners fund, details the complaint.
At the same time, Vista CEO, African-American billionaire Robert Smith, on Thursday reached a separate agreement with US Justice to settle tax evasion charges. In addition to paying $ 140 million in taxes and penalties, he agreed to cooperate with the authorities "on ongoing investigations," according to a statement from the Department of Justice, which does not specify who these investigations relate to. But according to the American press, it is indeed Robert Brockman.
The latter, general manager of the automotive software company Reynolds and Reynolds, was well aware of his actions, assures the Department of Justice: he for example voluntarily changed the date on files and used systems of encrypted communication and passwords to discuss these matters.
He is also accused of having set up a scheme between 2008 and 2010 to recover approximately $ 67.8 million in debt securities from his company without having made it public. The business owner was indicted by a grand jury in California on a total of 39 counts, including tax evasion and money laundering.