Man involved in Oklahoma Panhandle dispute wins federal tax fight

Phoenix federal Judge Roslyn O. Silver tossed out all eight counts Thursday against international land developer James R. Parker, 63, of Carefree, Ariz.

The abrupt dismissal came on Day 9 of the jury trial after government prosecutors had finished presenting witnesses. The judge found prosecutors had failed to support their accusations and tossed out the indictment without hearing from defense witnesses.

Several Oklahoma Panhandle ranchers and the assistant secretary of the Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office testified during the trial as government attorneys tried to support allegations that Parker had engaged in elaborate schemes to hide certain assets and evade paying more than $1.2 million in taxes, penalties and interest.

Parker contended all along that he didn't scheme to hide assets, but that properties were owned by limited liability corporations established by his children to protect assets and for estate planning purposes. One of those properties was a Cimarron County ranch.

“It was ridiculous,” said Michael Minns, Parker's attorney. “The government put a bunch of people on the stand to complain that the Parkers took their land.”

Minns said Parker never took their land.

What happened was Parker's children outbid them for leases on more than 24,000 acres of state school trust lands that the ranchers' families had been leasing from the Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office for decades at prices the Parkers believe were far below fair market value, said the Brookshire, Texas, attorney.

Parker has told The Oklahoman that what his family did was good for the state's schoolchildren, since proceeds from leases of school trust lands go for the benefit of Oklahoma's common and higher education schools.