A Carrollton businessman, Barry Lee White, has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for failure to pay over $2.4 million in payroll taxes. The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia relayed that White's neglect spanned several years during which he actively withheld taxes from employees' paychecks without remitting them to the Internal Revenue Service.
White, at the helm of both I-Barr Construction, Inc. and T-Line Construction, LLC, was sentenced to one year and 10 months in federal prison. According to a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, White stood as the sole operator of the companies, trusted to collect and pay the IRS the payroll taxes. Between 2012 and 2019, a calculated move White’s failed to pay the taxes kept the funds that were supposed to serve as the lifeline for social programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan stated, "White refused to pay payroll taxes after withholding those funds from his employees’ paychecks for years – stealing from his employees and United States taxpayers. Employers who fail to comply with their legal obligations will be held accountable," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. White’s unwillingness to fulfill this legal responsibility sparked the IRS Criminal Investigation's involvement which led to his conviction earlier this year, on May 7.
The IRS Criminal Investigation’s Atlanta Field Office conducted a detailed investigation into White's crimes. Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman noted, "Employment tax evasion is stealing from the government and the American taxpayer."
Following his prison term, White faces three years of supervised release and has been ordered to pay restitution for $2,499,473.07. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Adams and Erin N. Spritzer prosecuted the case which culminated in the sentencing on August 26.
