ALPINE, Texas — George Wayne Johnson, 73, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of failure to pay withholding taxes while he was the owner of Wayne's Welding Services in Monahans.
Johnson owned the company from 2015-2018. During that time the company withheld tax payments from its employees' paychecks but failed to pay $1,308,797 in required payroll tax to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Johnson spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on his salary and personal expenses.
Johnson faces a maximum penalty on each count of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The IRS is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Kennedy is prosecuting the case.
