Howell Man Admits He Didn't Pay Federal Payroll Taxes: Prosecutor

TRENTON, NJ — A Howell man who owned a roofing company has pleaded guilty to tax evasion and failure to pay the IRS more than $540,000 in employment taxes, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Wilson Salas-Molina, 39, of Howell pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to one count of payroll tax evasion and one count of failure to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes.

Salas-Molina was the owner and operator of US Contractor Inc., also known as Wilson Contractors or WC Contractor, a roofing business in Monmouth County.

From 2012 to 2018, Salas-Molina was required to withhold and pay over to the IRS the employment taxes for US Contractor employees. He cashed checks he received from roofing clients at a check cashing service, and he paid his 14 employees in cash to conceal his payment of wages and his failure to report, account for, and pay over employment taxes to the IRS.

The scheme resulted in a failure to withhold and pay over $540,000 in employment taxes to the IRS.

The count of tax evasion and the count of failure to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes each carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for July 13, 2020.

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