Camden Co. Business Owner, Rep Withheld Millions From IRS: Feds

PENNSAUKEN, NJ — Two Camden County businessmen were arraigned Wednesday after federal authorities say they concealed millions from the IRS.

Tri Anh Tieu and Andy Tran ran a temp agency, which paid its employees in cash and failed to pay payroll taxes for four years, according to the Sept. 25 indictment. Tieu, who owned Tri States Staffing LLC, used some of the unpaid taxes on personal expenditures, including gambling, authorities said.

Tieu, 53, and Tran, 49, were charged with conspiring to defraud the United States. They were arraigned Wednesday in Camden Federal Court and were each released on a $100,000 unsecured bond.

Tri States Staffing provided temporary workers to businesses. Tieu owned the company, while Tran was its representative. Tri States Staffing received more than $2.5 million from customer businesses from 2018-22, when the Pennsauken-based entity failed to pay over the payroll taxes, authorities said.

Tieu and Tran — both Camden residents — also omitted their incomes from Tri States Staffing on their personal tax returns, according to court documents.

In September 2021, Tieu cashed an $8,500 check written off the business bank account and used the money at a casino, the indictment says.

If convicted, they each face up to five years in prison and maximum fines of $250,000 apiece.