Washougal business owner pleads guilty to sales tax theft

A Washougal business owner who stole more than $35,000 in retail sales tax has been spared jail time because he paid back the amount and then some.

Richard A. Mehas, who owns Accurate Landscaping, pleaded guilty last week in Clark County Superior Court to first-degree theft, court records show.

Mehas, 50, collected retail sales tax from Washington clients and kept the money, which was intended to fund public services, such as education, social services, health care, corrections, public safety and natural resources conservation, according to the Washington State Department of Revenue.

The tax fraud was discovered during an audit of Mehas’ business records spanning January 2009 through September 2013. Although he did not report any business income to the revenue department, invoices provided by a client showed otherwise. The client paid more than $500,000 for services and $35,526 in retail sales tax, according to the revenue department.

Mehas told investigators that he used the money to help support his family. He sold his house last year but did not use any of the money to pay back his tax bill, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The state Attorney General’s Office handled the case.

Court records show that Mehas did not have prior criminal history and had repaid $40,000 to the department of revenue after being charged.

Jessica Prokop: 360-735-4551; jessica.prokop@columbian.com