TACOMA, Wash. — A Pierce County man faces up to five years in prison and large restitution payments after pleading guilty Friday, admitting he didn’t pay employment taxes on more than 50 employees, keeping nearly $357,000.
The Department of Justice reports Donald Knutsen owns Northwest Sportscards, a sports memorabilia and card gaming shop, with two locations.
An investigation found as early as 2002, Knutsen was withholding income, Social Security and Medicare taxes from employees, but keeping the money, and even stopped filing his own taxes after 2000.
Knutsen’s employees did not accrue Social Security benefits because the IRS never got the money.