Florida Father Sent to Federal Prison for Failing to Pay Child Support

A Florida man was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after a jury found that he had not made a single child support payment since his divorce was finalized in 2004.

John C. Carlson of Venice, Florida was accused of failing to pay child support in Maine. Because the case involved multiple states--Carlson lives in Florida, but his ex-wife and daughter live in Maine--Carlson was prosecuted in federal court under the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act of 1998. The case was also heard in federal court because the child support debt exceeded $10,000 and accrued over more than two years.

In addition to spending in a year in prison, Carlson was also ordered to pay $44,000 in back child support that he never paid to his ex-wife. Carlson's attorney is planning to appeal the sentence, and argued that the original divorce decree was unreasonable. In 2004, a judge in Maine ordered Carlson to pay $132 a week in child support and $11,682 in back child support from when the divorce petition was initially filed in 2001. Carlson was accused of never making a payment.

Furthermore, it is believed he took steps to  hide his assets, and it is reported that at the time he and his ex-wife filed for divorce in 2001, he earned $57,000 a year as an engineer and had more than $600,000 worth of assets, which included real estate, vehicles, personal property, and retirement accounts. However, his attorney argues that he now has no assets, no income, and is suffering from "significant health problems that keep him from working as an engineer." He is now employed at a discount department store where he earns minimum wage and cares full-time for his elderly mother.

Experienced Child Support Attorneys Serving Jacksonville

If you have been ordered to pay child support, it is extremely important that you make every possible effort to make your child support payments. Failure to pay child support can result in fines and incarceration, and you will likely be ordered to make retroactive payments for all the child support you haven't paid.

If you are falling behind on your obligations due to financial hardship, do not simply ignore your responsibilities and allow child support debt to accumulate. Instead, contact a Jacksonville child support lawyer at Ellerin Hutchinson. We can help you address your situation and ask the court to modify your payments so they are more affordable. To learn more about our services, contact Ellerin Hutchinson today at (904) 638-3134 to arrange a consultation.