Oregon Department of Justice

Paul Stanford faces charges of Failure to File Personal Income Taxes

Attorney General John Kroger today announced the arrest of the president of The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation on allegations that he failed to pay taxes for two years.

"In these tough economic times every tax dollar is crucial, and we cannot afford to let people cheat on their taxes," said Attorney General Kroger.

Paul Stanford (DOB: 6/26/1960) was arrested March 7 on an indictment charging him with two counts of Failure to File Personal Income Taxes for 2008 and 2009. He is scheduled to be arraigned on March 21 in Marion County Circuit court. Stanford is the president of The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation (THCF), an organization started in 1999 as a charitable 501(c)(3) foundation.

The indictment and arrest followed an investigation by the Department of Justice's Charitable Activities Section and Criminal Justice Division.

A criminal indictment is merely an allegation. Every criminal defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In 2010, the IRS announced that it had revoked THCF's status as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity.

Senior Assistant Attorneys General Shannon Kmetic and Jennifer Gardiner are prosecuting the case for the Oregon Department of Justice.

Attorney General John Kroger leads the Oregon Department of Justice. The Department's mission is to fight crime and fraud, protect the environment, improve child welfare, promote a positive business climate, and defend the rights of all Oregonians.

• Statement by AG Kroger (mp3)