WASILLA — A Mat-Su cancer doctor known for his large dinosaur and rare book collection faces federal tax evasion charges linked to millions in charitable contributions over a four-year period.
Dr. Larry Lawson, a Big Lake resident, is one of two physicians at Midnight Sun Oncology, a cancer and blood-disorder treatment center located at the Valley's only hospital, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Lawson, a fossil and artifact collector, also gained notice in 2010 when he opened a short-lived dinosaur museum in a Wasilla strip mall.
Lawson was indicted Wednesday on four counts of tax evasion, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
He is accused of falsely claiming anywhere from roughly $975,000 to more than $5.7 million each year between 2009 and 2012, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Retta-Rae Randall in Anchorage, one of three attorneys prosecuting the case. All told, the false claims total around $11 million, prosecutors say.
The actual amount of those claims on which the federal government thinks Lawson should have paid taxes couldn't be determined Thursday.
Lawson contributed the money to a nonprofit in Arizona and claimed he didn't get any items or property in return, Randall said. But the federal indictment charges that he did, so he should have paid taxes on at least some of the contributions.
"He was claiming the contributions when he was getting something of value in return, that he was allegedly paying for," Randall said.
Internal Revenue Service rules and regulations say if an individual receives items, property or a benefit as a result of making a contribution to a qualified organization, the individual may deduct only the amount of the contribution that exceeds the value of the benefit, items or property received.
Asked if the Arizona nonprofit also faces charges, Randall said the investigation is ongoing.
Lawson is in New Zealand and couldn't immediately be reached for comment, staffers at Midnight Sun Oncology said Thursday afternoon when reached by phone. One said news of the charges came as a complete shock. She said Midnight Sun continued to operate as usual. Another doctor also serves patients there.
Lawson's attorney in California could not be reached Thursday.
Lawson was also charged with one count of obstructing and impeding the internal revenue laws, according to a DOJ press release.
The indictment charges "that Lawson created and used nominee entities to conceal his individual income," the release states. "It further alleges that he created From the Vault Inc., a not-for-profit Alaska corporation, that he used as a nominee primarily to acquire and maintain his own personal collection of fossils, dinosaurs, maps, rare books, rare manuscripts, and related material."
He also created companies identified by Randall as Freeze Frame Inc. and Little Wing Inc. Those two companies were formed in 2009 at the same address as Midnight Sun, according to a state database of corporate records.
Investigators say Lawson made false statements to the IRS in 2009 and 2010.
The Justice Department's Tax Division is the lead agency on the case, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Lawson's biography on the Midnight Sun Oncology website says he moved to Alaska in 2005 and travels to Homer twice a month to treat patients there.
He earned his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine, a Caribbean medical school. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Florida's Cleveland Clinic and did a medical oncology fellowship at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans.
"When he is not working, Dr. Lawson likes to travel with his wife and photograph obscure cultures and exotic wildlife," the bio states.