Wood County attorney pleads guilty to tax fraud November 05, 2009 5:01 PM
CHARLESTON, W.Va.
A Wood County attorney has pleaded guilty to failing to pay more than $405,000 in taxes.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said 60-year-old Richard A. Hayhurst pleaded guilty Thursday to tax fraud before U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.
Prosecutors allege the civil attorney from Parkersburg withheld money from employees' paychecks for taxes between 2000 and 2006, but did not pay that money to the Internal Revenue Service.
They also said he failed to pay his own personal income taxes of $134,965 for the years 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Hayhurst faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine during sentencing, which is set for March 16.
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