Kevin Scott Wynn, 59, of Scottsdale, was apprehended last week by the U.S. Marshals Service after failing to appear for his scheduled sentencing, officials say.

A Phoenix jury convicted Mr. Wynn on Dec. 5, 2019, of one felony count of tax evasion and three misdemeanor counts of failure to file a tax return. Before trial, Mr. Wynn had been on pretrial release, but subject to a curfew and electronic monitoring, according to a press release from the United States Attorneys Office.

After his conviction, Mr. Wynn was released pending sentencing, but required to follow a curfew and wear an ankle monitor. In April 2020, Mr. Wynn filed a motion with the court requesting to lift those restrictions on his release.

The District Court sided with the government and refused to modify the conditions of Mr. Wynn’s release, officials say.

On June 30, approximately four weeks before his scheduled sentencing date, Mr. Wynn reportedly cut off his ankle U.S. Pretrial Services received a tamper alert, sought a warrant, and alerted law enforcement. Over the course of the next 53 days, the U.S. Marshals Service, with assistance from Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Mexican law enforcement authorities worked together to trace Mr. Wynn’s movements, contacts, and money.

In particular, in the months before he fled — and at a time when he was asserting in court filings that he intended to pay his past due tax obligations — Mr. Wynn withdrew more than $1 million in cash from his business bank accounts.

Mexican law enforcement authorities apprehended Mr. Wynn in the wealthy Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City on Aug. 21 and deported him to Houston the following day. At the time he was apprehended, Mr. Wynn reportedly had in his possession a Mexican voter identification card with his photograph and another person’s name, officials say.

Mr. Wynn currently remains in the custody of the Marshals Service following an initial appearance in Houston on Aug. 24. He will be transported back to Arizona for a sentencing hearing currently scheduled for Sept. 28.

At sentencing, Mr. Wynn faces a maximum sentence of 96 months in prison, in addition to a restitution order of up to $765,429.22 to account for past due taxes, penalties, and interest.

“I applaud the tireless work of the United States Marshal Service and all of our law enforcement partners to ensure Wynn was caught and that he will face justice for his crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey in a prepared statement.

Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations conducted the underlying investigation, and the United States Marshals Service led the fugitive apprehension efforts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

“Wynn spent a lot of time and money preparing for his life as an international fugitive,” said United States Marshal David Gonzalez. “Unfortunately for him, his life on the run was for only 53 days. My special thanks to our partners in the Republic of Mexico for their assistance in the capture of Wynn.”