Oregon Concrete Boss Joy Williams Gets 8 Months for Tax Theft

PORTLAND, Ore. – Rebekah Joy Williams, 44, of Damascus, Oregon, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced today for deliberately stealing from her employees and the government. Williams, the former owner and general manager of Anbasa Transport LLC and Kelaye Concrete LLC, was sentenced to eight months behind bars and three years of supervised release for willfully failing to pay employment taxes she’d already withheld from worker paychecks.

The scheme spanned at least three years, from 2015 to 2017, as Williams pocketed approximately $112,257 in federal income, Medicare, and Social Security taxes (FICA) collected from her employees. Court documents reveal she provided paystubs showing the withholdings, a blatant deception to cover her tracks. She then used those funds to finance a high-roller lifestyle, leaving her workers short and the IRS empty-handed.

This wasn’t a case of simple mismanagement. Williams actively obstructed efforts to rectify the situation. In 2016, she hired an accountant, but deliberately withheld crucial documentation needed to file proper payroll tax returns. She then lied to the accountant, claiming company records were destroyed in a neighboring fire. Investigators determined Williams was acutely aware of her obligations and knowingly circumvented the law, proving this was a calculated act of theft.

The feds say Williams attempted to hide her ill-gotten gains by opening and closing multiple bank accounts – a practice known as “churning” – every 12 to 18 months. The aim? To shield her business proceeds from the IRS. But the money didn’t stay hidden for long. Evidence shows Williams spent the stolen payroll taxes on lavish vacations, private school tuition for her children, tickets to professional sporting events, and generally maintaining an “upscale lifestyle.”

A federal grand jury in Portland returned a 19-count indictment against Williams on October 19, 2021, charging her with willfully failing to collect or pay over employment taxes. She pleaded guilty on November 14, 2022. In addition to her prison sentence and supervised release, Williams was ordered to pay $725,492 in restitution to the IRS, a fraction of the damage she inflicted.

The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire M. Fay for the District of Oregon. This should serve as a warning: stealing from your employees and the government carries serious consequences, and the IRS will hunt you down. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments.