Yesterday the former owner of Copp Trucking Co. out of Kansas City, Kansas, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for evading federal income taxes.
Forty-seven year old Clifford C. Copp pled guilty to one count of tax evasion and admitted that he filed the company’s federal tax forms in 2001 but failed to pay the $939,408 in employment taxes that he owed.
Three years later, Copp was assessed $669,037 in trust fund recovery penalties but hid his income and his assets in a limousine company, life insurance, and livestock.
In addition to the prison sentence, Copp was ordered to pay back the $939,408 that he owes.
Copp Trucking Co. shut down in 2001. It was in operation for 23 years, employed 300 workers, and boasted $25 million in revenue in 2000, according to Copp. When asked why he shut down the trucking company, Copp blamed high fuel costs, a crash in Iowa, and a Teamster dispute at Associated Wholesale Grocers.
Sources:
KC Star
The Topeka Capitol-Journal
The Kansas City Business Journal