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Jury deliberates in trial of Hooters founder

If convicted, Lynn Stewart could get up to 16 years in prison.

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published November 14, 2005

TAMPA - A federal prosecutor called Lynn "L.D." Stewart the "puppet master" in a scheme to defraud the U.S. government during closing arguments Monday in a tax evasion trial against the founder of Hooters.

Stewart, 62, faces two counts of tax evasion and two counts of filing false tax returns. He could face up to five years in prison on each tax evasion charge and another three years for each false income return claim - up to 16 years total - if convicted.

Jurors began deliberations in the case around lunchtime. After 41/2 hours, they sent a note to U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew asking to go home for the day. The jury will reconvene at 9:30 this morning to continue deliberating.

Pro Football Hall of Fame member Dick Butkus sat in the courtroom next to Stewart's wife, Juanita. The two men played football together at the University of Illinois in the mid-1960s. Butkus called Stewart "a good friend" and said he came to Tampa to show his support.

John Fitzgibbons, Stewart's attorney, has argued that Stewart relied solely on his accountant and longtime friend Michael Maricle when it came to finances. Maricle prepared Stewart's income tax returns, including the ones for 1997 and 1998. For those two years, the Internal Revenue Service says Stewart owes about $4-million more in income taxes than he paid.

Stewart testified on his own behalf for two days during the trial and said he only followed the advice of Maricle when he signed the tax returns. If anything illegal occurred, he said, he knew nothing about it.

[Last modified November 14, 2005, 18:12:03]