This week, it was announced that a Fayette County, West Virginia business owner had pleaded guilty to failing to pay over employment taxes. The announcement was made by Stuart M. Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Carol Casto. Information provided to the court shows that from 2008 to 2012 68-year-old Steve Lopez owned and operated Ready Transport Services. The transportation business mainly provided taxi services.
From 2009 to 2012, the defendant also owned RTS Ice Cream, Coffee and Candy Shop. Both businesses were based out of Montgomery, West Virginia. Lopez was responsible for collection and paying social security, Medicare and income taxes withheld from employees’ paychecks to the Internal Revenue Service. He was also responsible for paying the employer’s share of social security and Medicare taxes.
Lopez eventually admitted that he did not pay roughly $393,851 in employment taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2018. At the time of his sentencing, Lopez will face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison. Additional details can be found here.
