Doctor accused of owing $1.6 million in taxes, indictment says

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A Baton Rouge area doctor has been formally charged with tax evasion, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Officials said Melissa Rose Barrett, 48, appeared for her arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the pending charges.

Barrett is a doctor who owned and operated an urgent care clinic known as Stat Care Clinics, L.L.C. d/b/a Central Stat Care, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to the indictment, Barrett allegedly owed $1.6 million in taxes from 2007 through 2017. During that time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said she purchased a boat, airplane, and other items totaling $6.7 million.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office noted that an indictment is an accusation by a grand jury, meaning Barrett is presumed innocent until found guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.

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