Former Springfield alderman arrested on tax fraud charges

SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. (WSMV) - A former Springfield alderman was arrested on Thursday on money laundering, tax evasion and sales tax fraud, the Department of Revenue announced.

Bruce Morris Head, president of Stewart Williams Company in Springfield, was indicted and arrested after an investigation by the Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue.

The Robertson County Grand Jury indicted Head on Feb. 15 on one count of theft over $250,000, one count of money laundering, one count of tax evasion and eight counts of sales tax fraud. The indictments allege Head filed false sales tax returns with the Department on behalf of Stewart Williams.

“The Department of Revenue has always been committed to making sure Tennessee’s tax laws and procedures are applied uniformly to ensure fairness,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said in a news release. “We can never allow individuals engaged in fraudulent tax activity to have a competitive advantage over honest Tennesseans.”

Head served as an alderman for the City of Springfield for over 25 years before stepping down in January 2022.

If convicted, Head could be sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison and fined up to $50,000 for theft of property. He could also be sentenced up to 12 years and fined up to $25,000 for money laundering. He could face up to two years in prison and fined up to $3,000 for tax evasion and each count of filing false sales tax returns.

Head was released from jail after posting an $85,000 bond.