Memphis Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Theft

MEMPHIS--  Sam Taylor, 53, President of Payless Tobacco, Inc.,  pleaded guilty to one count of theft of property over $10,000 Wednesday. The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to Taylor’s guilty plea.

The indictments charged that from June 2004 through December 2006, Taylor failed to remit $71,496.44 in sales tax collected from customers of his two convenience markets. Judge Paula Skahan accepted Taylor’s guilty plea. She placed Taylor on five years of supervised probation, and she ordered him to pay restitution plus court costs. 

“The majority of businesses pay appropriate taxes,” Revenue Commissioner Richard Roberts said. “I hope this case will serve as a warning to others who think they can get away with tax fraud in Tennessee. We will continue to pursue criminal activity and prosecute tax evaders to assure fairness in our tax structure for Tennesseans.”

The Department pursued this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Amy Weirich and her staff. Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee's revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2014 fiscal year, it collected $11.8 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $2.3 billion in taxes and fees for local governments.  To learn more about the Department, visit www.TN.gov/revenue.

###