Former Charlotte Checkers owner pleads guilty to filing false tax return

WFAE | By Woody Cain

Published October 27, 2026 at 7:00 AM EDT

Michael Kahn, the former majority owner of the Charlotte Checkers, pleaded guilty Monday to filing a fraudulent federal income tax return.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the 66-year-old transferred more than $4.5 million from his family foundation to himself and failed to report that income on his tax returns.

Kahn was the primary owner of the Charlotte Checkers from 2006 until 2024, when Zawyer Sports and Entertainment acquired a controlling interest in the team.

Crime & Justice

Woody Cain

Woody is a Charlotte native who came to WFAE from the world of NASCAR where he was host of NASCAR Today for MRN Radio as well as a pit reporter, turn announcer and host of the NASCAR Live pre race show for Cup Series races. Before that, he was a news anchor at WBT radio in Charlotte, a traffic reporter, editor of The Charlotte Observer’s University City Magazine, News/Sports Director at WEGO-AM in Concord and a Swiss Army knife in local cable television. His first job after graduating from Appalachian State University was news reporter at The Daily Independent in Kannapolis. Along the way he’s covered everything from murder trials and a national political convention to high school sports and minor league baseball.

See stories by Woody Cain