In a scathing 69-page order, a Magistrate Judge found that federal prosecutors engaged in flagrant misconduct in connection with a tax evasion case against Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP’s client, a dedicated Alaskan oncologist.

The Court called out all three members of the prosecution team for withholding evidence and making evasive, misleading, and untruthful statements to the BKLW defense team and to the Court. The Court referred all three prosecutors (who had already been removed from the case after initial findings of misconduct late last year) to the Office of Professional Responsibility, noting that the lead prosecutor’s conduct was not only reckless, but willful. It also referred two IRS agents for discipline because of their misleading and deceitful conduct.  

The order, which came following a three-day evidentiary hearing in Alaska, was the product of years of hard-fought litigation and creative motions practice by BKLW partner John Littrell and the rest of the BKLW team.

Although the lengthy order describing the government’s misconduct was filed under seal, a summary of the Court’s findings and disciplinary referrals is available here.

Read more:

Related Insights

Feb 26, 2026 BKLW News

SEC Enforcement Manual 2026: Key Updates for Individuals Facing SEC Investigations and Whistleblowers

On February 24, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission released an updated Enforcement Manual—its first comprehensive revision since 2017. Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP has analyzed the changes in detail to...
Feb 23, 2026 BKLW News

AI and Privilege: What United States v. Heppner Means for Clients Facing Federal Investigation

In an opinion issued February 17, 2026, Judge Jed Rakoff of the Southern District of New York ruled that communications between a criminal defendant and a generative AI platform not directed by counsel are not protected by...
Feb 06, 2026 BKLW News

Court further trims L.A. Times petition in landmark public records case against City of L.A.

The intersection of California’s Public Records Act (“PRA”)and record-retention statutes is generating significant legal developments. On January 15, 2026, the California Supreme Court decided City of Gilroy v....