Abingdon Man Sentenced on Tax Charges

ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – The former owner of Wat-Co, a Washington County metal fabricating business, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon on tax charges.

Thomas Leroy Watson, 58, of Abingdon, Va., previously pled guilty to one count of failing to collect and pay taxes. United States District Judge James P. Jones sentenced Watson to federal prison for a term of 18 months.

“Paying taxes is part of our civic duty as American citizens,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said today. “We must continue to make sure all private citizens and business owners pay the proper amount of tax.”

Watson failed to pay payroll taxes for his employees between 2010 and the first quarter of 2012.  Accordingly, he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $110,822.54.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.