A federal judge has ruled that telecommunications tycoon Walter Anderson, a man accused of being the biggest tax cheat in U.S. history, will have to remain in jail until his trial either in late spring or early summer.

Anderson, 51, has been in custody since his arrest at Dulles International Airport in February as he returned from a trip to London. He faces charges of concealing approximately $450 million in personal income in offshore shell corporations and failing to pay more than $200 million he owes in federal and District taxes in over two decades.

In a hearing last week both Anderson, who was seeking to be released on bond, and his attorney argued that he had been a lifelong resident of the Washington area and wanted to energetically defend himself against the government accusations. In an interview with the Washington Post, Mr. Anderson told the reporter that the government's charges are inaccurate and that all the income was not for his personal use but for the benefit of a charitable foundation that he managed.
Judge Paul L. Friedman ruled that there was "ample reason to doubt that Mr. Anderson would appear for trial if released."

Judge Friedman further added that the grand jury indictment portrays Anderson as a man who moved hundreds of millions of dollars out of the United States through a complicated web of corporations in Panama, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the British Virgin Islands and avoided drawing any notice for more than a decade.

Judge Friedman also noted that Anderson had an interest in concealing his identity by using aliases and had many properties and connections in other countries that made it easy for him to hide from U.S. law enforcement.

"The nature and the circumstances of the offense with which Mr. Anderson is charged demonstrate not only his considerable incentive to flee and evade prosecution, but also his considerable experience in conducting business abroad and moving money and assets across borders without detection," the judge wrote.

Friedman's decision means Anderson, who is a resident of Georgetown, will probably remain in a D.C. Jail until his trial, unless he accepts a plea agreement.

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