American Tax Officer-Chapter 520 - 267: The Sackler Family Panics_3

"Mr. Mariano also said just now that, due to some issues with Oxy Contin, people from the Sackler family have always felt a great sense of crisis. The scene at the time, coupled with the effects of alcohol, are all factors that led to the current tragedy. Therefore, Director David, you can’t put all the blame on us. The environmental factors at the time should have been taken into account."

The person who stood up to speak now was Mariano’s lawyer.

And what he said, without saying it outright, was that if David wanted to investigate the Sackler family, he should have gone directly to the sober-minded people in the family, not the young folks whose minds were clouded by alcohol and drugs.

In other words, his point was that the primary responsibility should not fall on the Sackler family but on David himself for misjudging the situation and needing to take leadership responsibility!

"Yes, yes, yes, my mind was indeed muddled by alcohol at the time. I thought it was patients who were troubled by using Oxy Contin, which is why I had a subconscious self-defense reaction. I really didn’t expect people from the Los Angeles IRS to be coming for me. And even if you did want to come for me, you could have given me a heads-up to avoid such a misunderstanding."

Hobson also sobered up and added.

In fact, he did have a reason to say so. After all, who the hell knew that the IRS people would come looking for him in the middle of the night?

And even when they were coming for him, they didn’t give any prior notice.

If you’d just let me know, I wouldn’t dare to shoot recklessly!

"So, according to you two, if our IRS needs to conduct an audit in the future, we should also give a heads-up to gang members, drug dealers, or robbers? Or maybe hold a press conference telling them, ’the IRS is coming to check on you, get ready’?"

David looked at the two of them as if they were idiots.

"This..."

Hobson was at a loss for words for a moment.

However, the lawyer stood up and argued: "It’s not exactly like that, Director David. Both parties did something improper in this case. Hobson shouldn’t have impulsively fired his gun when startled, and your IRS should not have approached in such a situation. This was all a misunderstanding. Since it is a misunderstanding, we should sit down and resolve it peacefully, there’s no need to escalate the issue, right?"

"You sound logical and well-founded now, but I wonder if you can still speak so confidently when you’re in court."

Upon hearing about going to court, the lawyer didn’t panic, but Mariano did, knowing well that if this matter went to court, the IRS could charge him with several crimes even if he were innocent. So he immediately chimed in, "There’s no need for that. How about this, Director David – in addition to compensating the victim’s family, we are willing to reach an agreement with the IRS and pay a fine to settle this matter. How does that sound?"

By now, he had confirmed that the IRS was indeed aiming to investigate their family.

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So, he planned to deal with this as he had with the FBI, the drug administration, and civil lawsuits in the past—a costly way to fend off trouble.

"A fine? Good luck with that, Mr. Mariano."

David scoffed dismissively and, without further ado, turned to leave.

Watching David’s retreating figure, Mariano and his son felt a chill in their hearts. David’s demeanor suggested he wouldn’t rest until they were taken down!

Having no other choice, Mariano took out his phone and dialed Arthur’s number to report the situation.

...

Upon returning to the precinct, Director David immediately started organizing the information he had gathered from Mariano and his son.

About an hour later, he called in Nisen Bakesimmons and others and gave them targeted tasks to carry out.

And so, the precinct’s machinery began to operate nonstop throughout the night.

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The next day, Kepel, who had been brought to the precinct by David, knocked on the door and entered, saying, "Director, the media are here; you can go down now."

David nodded, stood up, and prepared to head down. The case had escalated overnight, and he needed to hold a press conference to clarify the situation and to announce what he intended to do next.

In the lobby on the first floor, the media’s cameras were all set up, and the crowd became restless upon seeing David arrive.

"Good morning, everyone. Regarding last night’s shooting at the Met Bar, I will represent the Los Angeles IRS in answering questions from the media and provide some information about the case..."

As he finished speaking, the reporters hurriedly raised their hands to ask questions, and David pointed to a journalist from KNBS TV Station.

Then this reporter immediately asked, "Director David, it’s said that the Inspector died in the line of duty. Do you take responsibility for this, and will you resign because of it?"

Confronted with such a sharp question from the start, David didn’t panic but calmly replied, "Since our Inspector died in the line of duty, of course, I will take responsibility. As for whether I will resign... I think I’ll wait until I’ve resolved this case and let the public decide whether they support me or not!"

"Director David, what kind of case is this, exactly, and why did the attacker engage in a shootout with your IRS? What’s the suspect’s name and background?"

"It’s just a routine tax investigation case, and as for the suspect... his name is Hobson Sackler."

Upon hearing the first name, the media didn’t think much of it, but when they heard the last name Sackler, everyone’s expression froze.

And a journalist from KMBS TV Station immediately asked, "Director David, is this attacker Hobson... a member of the Sackler family?"