Officials: SC woman grossed $3 million but paid no taxes

A Lexington County woman who made millions failed to pay taxes for two years, according to officials.

The S.C. Department of Revenue reported investigators and county deputies arrested Ashley Monique Speer, 31, on Wednesday.

Speer’s gross income totaled more than $3.5 million in 2013 and 2014, according to a news release from SCDOR. She was required to file and pay South Carolina income taxes but reportedly failed to do so. SCDOR stated she owes $18,719 to the state.

Speer was charged with two counts of failure to file and pay income taxes.

The S.C. Secretary of State’s website listed Speer as the agent for for-profit businesses Ashley Monique Speer Est LLC and GenX Group LLC. Ashley Monique Speer Est LLC was dissolved in November, but GenX Group LLC’s was still listed as active and in good standing.

GenX Group is a business that sells sporty-looking cars and pickup trucks to customers in the Middle East, according to its internet site. One of its contact phone numbers is in Qatar and some of the writing on the site is in Arabic characters.

Qatar, a small country with the highest per capita income in the world, is located on the Arabian Peninsula and borders Saudi Arabia.

Speer’s GenX website gives the names and photos of two principals in the operation: Bu-Thajbah, who is described as “Big Brother (the Boss),” and Bu-Yousif, who is described as “Little Brother” and “financial adviser.”

Speer’s connection to these two men could not be determined. And efforts Wednesday to reach Speer were unsuccessful.

According to property records, Speer owns a 1,900-square-foot home in a rural neighborhood along the south shore of Lake Murray that she purchased in 2011. The neighborhood is five miles west of the town of Lexington.

Officers booked Speer into the Lexington County Detention Center. She was later freed on a $19,500 personal recognizance bond. One of the bond conditions was that she surrender her passport.

If convicted, she could face up to $10,000 in fines and up to one year in prison.

Court records indicate her first appearance in court is scheduled for Nov. 9.

This story was originally published July 8, 2016 at 8:02 AM with the headline "Officials: SC woman grossed $3 million but paid no taxes."