DENVER—A Commerce City businessman has pleaded guilty to defrauding the IRS out of nearly $6 million by failing to pay tax collections deducted from his employees’ paychecks.
According to the Denver Post (), 63-year-old Lucilious Ward pleaded guilty Friday to failure to account for and pay employment taxes and making a false claim against the United States.
Ward’s company, Global Access, was paid more than $35 million from 2003 through 2012 in a contract with the Regional Transportation District.
Jeff Dorschner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office says during that time, Ward withheld taxes from employees’ paychecks but spent the money on other expenses instead of turning it over to the IRS.
Ward owes $5.9 million in restitution and faces up to five years in prison and additional fines.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
