An appeals court upheld the federal prison sentences of creationist minister Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo Hovind, who were convicted of a host of tax-fraud charges.
Kent Hovind, 55, is serving a 10-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Edgefield S.C.
He was found guilty in November 2006 of failing to collect and pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes, obstructing tax laws and structuring transactions to avoid financial reporting laws.
Jo Hovind, 53, was sentenced to one year and a day in prison on 45 counts structuring transactions to avoid financial reporting laws.
She has remained free pending the outcome of the appeal. U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers will decide at an unscheduled hearing when Jo Hovind will begin serving her sentence.
The 18-page page opinion from the 11th District Court of Appeal released last week says that the Hovinds now must pay more than $600,000 in restitution.
Forfeiture proceedings against the Hovinds' property, including their creationism theme park Dinosaur Adventure Land on Old Palafox Highway, are ongoing.
