Eston “Dusty” Melton III, a lobbyist from Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for evading the payment of over $2 million in federal income taxes. The sentencing took place on June 17, 2025.
Court documents and Melton’s plea agreement reveal that he operated a lobbying business in both counties. Between 2005 and 2014, Melton filed personal federal income tax returns showing a total tax liability of $1,313,840. With penalties and interest, this debt increased to $2,143,381. He made payments totaling $62,100 towards this debt while the IRS collected an additional $537,231 through liens and levies.
From 2012 to 2021, Melton engaged in activities designed to conceal his assets and income from the IRS. When an IRS Revenue Officer indicated plans to levy or foreclose on his house, Melton appeared cooperative by attempting to sell it but took steps to undermine the sale process. The house was eventually sold six years later.
Melton also took measures such as paying approximately $80,000 in cash from his business to his wife and transferring clients to a new lobbying business purportedly owned by her. He continued providing services there for little or no pay. Additionally, he assisted his wife in purchasing a home solely under her name using funds primarily from his business and transferred ownership of cars and life insurance policies to her.
Alongside the prison sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, Melton is required to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution amounting to $1,736,586.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Bryne for the Southern District of Florida and Emmanuel Gomez, Special Agent in Charge at IRS Criminal Investigation.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation with Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Osborne prosecuting.
Further details can be accessed via the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida website or through related court documents available on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida’s website under case number 25-cr-80001.
