Alabama Husband and Wife Business Owners Indicted for Payroll Tax Fraud
A federal grand jury sitting in the Northern District of Alabama returned an indictment charging a Crane Hill, Alabama, husband and wife with five counts of failing to pay over payroll taxes, on March 28, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town for the Northern District of Alabama.
According to the indictment, Walter Michael Williams and Amy Butler Williams operated Dixie Steel Erectors (DSE), a commercial construction business in Hanceville, Alabama. Walter Michael Williams, president and owner of DSE, and Amy Williams, bookkeeper and office manager of DSE, were allegedly responsible for withholding and paying over DSE’s payroll taxes. The indictment charges that during 2012 and 2013, DSE accrued payroll tax liabilities and that the Williams withheld those taxes from the pay of the business’s employees, but willfully failed to pay over the withheld amounts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The indictment further alleges that, while failing to pay over payroll taxes to the IRS, Walter Michael and Amy Williams used DSE’s funds to pay for numerous personal expenses, including mortgage payments on a lake house and condominium and alimony payments.
If convicted, both Walter Michael and Amy Williams face a maximum of five years in prison for each count of failure to pay over the employment taxes. In addition, they face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
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