Shelby County Commissioner Will Richardson, who was indicted earlier this week for allegedly falsifying tax records, proclaimed his innocence in his first public statement on the case.
Richardson, according to his indictment, submitted false tax returns for nearly four years. He is also accused of withholding sales tax revenue from the state for his business, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy.
"I take these allegations seriously, and I understand the concern they raise," Richardson said in a statement. "But I want to be clear: I am innocent of these charges. I will pully participate in the legal process. I was elected by the people of District 8 with an overwhelming mandate, and I intend to keep serving them with the same commitment I brought to the campaign.
This legal matter will not distract me from the work of representing this district — on public safety, economic development, and the issues that matter to our families."
Richardson was indicted on Aug. 25 on two counts of falsifying state revenue tax records, a Class E felony, tied to one of his businesses. A warrant for his arrest was issued on Sept. 8 and he was arrested on Sept. 9, records show. His bail was set at $40,000, which he has since posted.
The morning of his arrest, Richardson had attended his first slate of Shelby County Commission committee meetings.
Memphis police made the arrest, according to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. The Shelby County District Attorney's Office said it had recused itself from the case and a pro tem prosecutor would be appointed by the Tennessee District Attorney's General Conference.
It is not clear how much money he is accused of withholding from the state.
Though saying he would not comment further while the case is pending, Richardson asked the public for patience.
"I am confident that when all the facts come out, they will support what I've said from day one. In the meantime, I ask for the public's patience and I remain focused on the job I was elected to do," he said.
Richardson is the second actively-serving member of the Shelby County Commission to be charged with a crime since the most recent election cycle ended. About a month ago, Commissioner Erika Sugarmon was charged with misdemeanor vandalism for allegedly stealing campaign signs.
He was sworn in as District 8's commissioner on Aug. 31. Richardson, a Democrat, won 81% of the vote in the Aug. 6 general election. He was elected as the vice chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party in 2025 and is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
A self-described "serial entrepreneur," Richardson owns Fat Charlie's Speakeasy in Harbor Town and WR Community Services LLC, a homecare agency operating in the Mid South. The company that holds Fat Charlie's registration, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State's website, had been changed to "inactive - dissolved (administrative)" on Aug. 20.
Read the indictment
Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by phone or email: (901)208-3922 and Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com, and followed on X @LucasFinton.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Shelby County Commissioner Will Richardson speaks about indictment
