VISION CENTER OWNER ARRESTED FOR FAILING TO PAY WITHHOLDING TAX, OPERATING WITHOUT LICENSE
South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) agents today arrested an owner of a South Carolina chain of vision center stores and charged him with four counts of failing to collect, account for, or pay over Withholding Tax.
Stephen Lamonte Franklin, 52, of Salisbury, MD, was responsible for collecting, reporting, and paying Withholding Tax taken from employees' pay for his business, H Rubin Vision Center. According to the arrest warrants, Franklin issued W-2s to employees reflecting tax was withheld from their pay, but he failed to voluntarily pay the taxes to the SCDOR. For tax years 2015 – 2018, Franklin failed to pay a total of $131,745 in Withholding Tax due to the state.
Franklin also was charged with one count of operating without a retail license. According to the arrest warrant, the license for H Rubin Vision Center was revoked in 2016 for unpaid business taxes. Franklin was advised to close the business and cease making retail sales. He received multiple violations for continuing to operate as he continued to make retail sales until July 2018.
If convicted of the charges for failing to collect, account for, or pay over Withholding Tax, Franklin faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000 for each count. If convicted of the count of operating without a license, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and/or a fine of $200. Franklin is being held in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
The SCDOR is committed to the fair administration of tax laws. By taking enforcement action against noncompliant taxpayers, the Department seeks to prevent unfairly increasing the tax burden on those who do comply.
If you suspect or know of anyone or a business that has committed a state tax crime, such as tax evasion or tax fraud, contact SCDOR Criminal Investigation and submit a Tax Violation Complaint Form (CID- 27) to criminalinvestigation@dor.sc.gov or mail it to SCDOR, CID, PO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214-0930.
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