Trumpeter turned minister charged with tax evasion
Phil Driscoll, 58, was named in an indictment introduced in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Friday. Also charged in the indictment are his wife, Donna Lynne Driscoll, and his mother-in-law, Annie Christine McDonald-Blankenship.
The trio is accused of diverting funds for personal expenses through Driscoll’s three tax-exempt ministries: Mighty Horn Ministries Inc., Phil Driscoll Ministries and the Spirit of Freedom Foundation Inc.
They are also accused of hiding income by listing proceeds from the sale of real estate as contributions to the ministries. McDonald-Blankenship works as a bookkeeper for her daughter and son-in-law, the indictment alleges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Mackie described several “overt acts” in the indictment, including the 1998 sale of a lake cabin in Ocoee for $85,000, which was deposited as a contribution to the ministry. Blankenship then issued a check to the Driscolls for the same amount from the ministry account, according to the indictment.
Another ministry check for $8,700 was used to pay for the funeral of Driscoll’s mother.
The indictment also claims that the Driscolls used ministry funds to make mortgage and car payments. All of the charges allegedly took place from 1993 to May 2002, and were carried out in Cleveland, Chattanooga and Jacksonville, Fla.
An arraignment date has not been set. Arrest warrants have been issued for all three, and Driscoll is listed on federal documents as a fugitive.
After winning several awards at a young age for his trumpet playing, Driscoll began recording with several pop acts in the 1970s, including Joe Cocker; Stephen Stills; Blood, Sweat & Tears; and Leon Russell.
Since then he has recorded more than 30 of his own albums of gospel and patriotic music and distributed them through his Mighty Horn Records and its Web site. Last year Driscoll performed “America” at the dedication ceremony for Bill Clinton’s presidential library in Little Rock, Ark.
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On the Net:
Phil Driscoll’s Web site: http://www.mightyhorn.com
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Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com