Roger B. Handberg, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida
Dorian Farmer, a resident of Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida, has pleaded guilty to charges related to embezzling employment taxes. Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announced that Farmer admitted guilt to one count of failure to pay employment trust fund taxes and two counts of willfully failing to file tax returns. The penalties Farmer faces include a maximum of five years in federal prison for the employment trust fund offense and up to one year for each count of failing to file tax returns. A sentencing date is yet to be determined.
Court documents reveal that Farmer owned multiple businesses in Howey-In-The-Hills, Lake County. Over several years, he collected employment trust fund taxes from his employees, which are intended for Social Security and Medicare. Instead of remitting these funds to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Farmer misappropriated them for personal use, including taking substantial cash distributions from one business without reporting them to the IRS. Additionally, he failed to file tax returns for himself and Titleist Technologies, Inc., doing business as Summit Joint Performance, for the year 2000. His actions led to a total tax loss amounting to $806,653.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
