The investigation confirmed the following reality of the false belief regarding Kellie Chauvin’s plea agreement after her 2023 sentence for tax evasion.
Kellie Chauvin, the former wife of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, was sentenced in May 2023 after pleading guilty to tax fraud charges and received probation and community service. Many believed she was “convicted” after being “found guilty” or “tried” in an adversarial process, when in fact she entered a guilty plea as indicated in the negotiated plea agreement.
The Actual Legal Case
Tax Fraud Charges
Kellie Chauvin was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to the felony tax fraud charges for filing false tax returns with Derek Chauvin for tax years 2014 through 2019 in Washington County, Minnesota.
Case Details
In July 2020, Kellie and Derek Chauvin, 46, were charged with nine counts of assisting and aiding in the tax evasion following an investigation by Minnesota Department of Revenue. The false tax evasion claims attest that the couple underreported over $464,000 in income and owed the government just shy of $38,000 in taxes, late fees and penalties for fraud.
The Plea Agreement Process
Guilty Plea Strategy
Kellie Chauvin pleaded guilty on Friday to tax fraud. She had been charged with two felony counts of aiding and abetting tax fraud, and the remaining counts against her were dropped.
In fact, Kellie Chauvin’s guilty plea to two of the felony charges, was apart of the proposed plea agreement, not as part of an adversarial trial process. Because it was a non-adversarial process, Kellie Chauvin entered a guilty plea to two of the counts after agreeing to a deal with the prosecution. In addition, a sentence was stayed for three years on the plea agreement, while Kellie Chauvin would be on probation.
Sentencing Details
Final Judgment
Kellie Chauvin, who is 48, was sentenced on Friday by Judge Sheridan Hawley to 20 days in jail, to be served via “sentence to serve” or another supervised work crew, in addition to three years of probation and she must pay the state of Minnesota $37,868 in restitution.
Alternative Sentencing
Chauvin, as part of her plea agreement, will be allowed to complete her jail time outside of jail by partaking in “sentence to serve” where offenders can do community work instead of jail time. Additionally, Kellie Chauvin must pay the state of Minnesota $37,868 in restitution as part of her sentencing.
Background: Marriage and Divorce
Relationship Timeline
In an interview with Pioneer Press in June 2018, prior to competing as Mrs. Minnesota America 2018, Chauvin said she met her soon-to-be husband while they both worked at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. She said he was on transport and brought someone in for a health assessment before someone came back to arrest the individual, and Derek Chauvin came back and asked Kellie Chauvin out.
Divorce Filing
The couple married in 2010, and Kellie Chauvin filed for divorce after George Floyd died. They divorced in February 2021. Kellie filed for divorce just days after Derek Chauvin was charged in George Floyd’s murder.
Financial Crimes Detailed
Unreported Income Sources
In addition to his fulltime job as a Minneapolis police officer, Chauvin worked part time as a security guard at some local bars and grocery stores. Kellie Chauvin was a real estate agent for RE/MAX Results, based in Eden Prairie, and also had a photography business.
Specific Amounts
During the six-year period in question, investigators put the amount Derek Chauvin earned for his security work at the El Nuevo Rodeo bar at almost $96,000. Investigators also found that in her bank records, Kellie Chauvin had deposited 340 checks in total from KC Images, totaling more than $66,000.
Current Status and Compliance
Probation Period
Kellie Chauvin is still on probation for three years following her plea agreement as of 2025. The probation began in May 2023, which means it will last through the year 2026 and Kellie Chauvin was required to honor any conditions imposed on her by a judge.
Safety Concerns
Kellie Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Olson, told Judge Sheridan Hawley at Friday’s remote hearing that his client has lost her “ability to move freely” due to her ex-husband’s legal issues,is wary of “threats to her security”.
Facts vs. Rumors Clarification
Misconception Analysis
Several false narratives have circulated about Kellie Chauvin’s legal situation:
FACT: She pleaded guilty to tax fraud charges in a negotiated agreement RUMOR: She was “found guilty” after a contested trial
FACT: She received probation and community service RUMOR: She was sentenced to significant prison time
FACT: The charges related only to tax evasion between 2014-2019 RUMOR: She faced charges related to George Floyd’s death
Her Personal Statement
Court Apology
Kellie Chauvin expressed remorse to the judge. “I stand before you to accept responsibility and take this as an opportunity to move forward and positively change my life,” she said.
Derek Chauvin’s Parallel Case
Husband’s Sentence
Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the two counts through a remote hearing, from an Arizona federal prison where he is serving 22½ years for the murder of Floyd and for violating Floyd’s civil rights in May 2020.
Derek Chauvin received 13 months probation for the same tax counts, to run concurrently with his murder charge.
Future Implications
Name Change Considerations
Court records indicate Kellie Chauvin has since indicated her intent to change her name for her protection. The divorce was finalized under a sealed order, protecting many details from public scrutiny.
Moving Forward
Olson said “It’s been a rough couple years, and she is slowly moving forward”. The attorney emphasized the challenges his client has faced due to her association with Derek Chauvin’s crimes.
Legal Context
Asset Protection Concerns
Initially, there were suspicions about the divorce timing. Legal experts said her rejection of that proposal added to speculation that the Chauvins were trying to protect their assets. Derek Chauvin has been charged with murder and manslaughter in the May 25 death of Floyd and also faces a lawsuit from Floyd’s family.
The Broader Impact
Community Response
The case showed that family members of officers accused of crimes can eventually face some secondary outcomes. Kellie Chauvin’s case illustrates that the spouses of those involved in high-profile criminal cases face a combination of the legal and personal complexity of these cases.
Prison System Context
Kellie is currently on probation and Derek Chauvin is in a federal prison. Derek was stabbed 22 times by another inmate, John Turscak, in the yard of the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona, and transferred to FCI Big Spring, Texas for safety reasons.
Looking Ahead
Kellie Chauvin’s case reminds everyone of an age-old reality: tax matters are on the back burner, but there is not a bath of “scrutiny” just because of the scenario around this case. If she completes the required status of her probation, she will have pieces of what should be or could be the primary consequence of a court process that better defines her legal future.
The distinction between pleading guilty and a defendant that is “found guilty” after trial highlights legal processes that have different analogues to accepting loss of seat on your personal reality. Knowing and understanding the discrimination helps explain public misconceptions of high-profile cases prior to trial.
Disclaimer: This investigation was conducted with publicly available court files, news articles, and documents filed in legal proceedings. None of this information contains anything other than verified factual accounts from respected news organizations or the court itself.
This investigation was conducted through verifying many court records, official news sources and the proceedings taken to be able to explore all of the correct information around Kellie Chauvin’s legal status.