Florida dentist pleads guilty to tax evasion

FLORIDA – A Florida dentist who allegedly hid hundreds of thousands of dollars in his mother’s bank accounts has pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

Frantz Brignol, of Leesburg, has pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of failing to file a tax return, said United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO), Brignol faces up to six years in federal prison for the offenses.

A federal grand jury returned the indictment against Brignol on November 22, 2022. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Most recently, Brignol has been practicing in Altamonte Springs.

According to the court records, Brignol, a dentist, had amassed almost $900,000 in tax liabilities to the IRS. Between approximately 2014 and 2020, Brignol is said to have evaded his tax payments by hiding hundreds of thousands of dollars in his mother’s bank accounts (for which he had signatory authority), trading funds overseas, and failing to disclose a bank account to the IRS.

Despite an annual income of more than $200,000 in 2020, Brignol also failed to file an income tax return as required under federal law, prosecutors said.

This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.