Ridgedale Exec Sentenced for $500k Tax Thefts

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Taney County business owner is facing federal prison time for embezzling over half a million dollars in payroll taxes from his employees.

Court records show that Carl Justin Gage, 42, of Ridgedale, Mo., has been sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Gage to pay $627,000 in restitution for the tax thefts.

Gage pleaded guilty on Jan. 15, 2016, to willful failure to pay over taxes he withheld from his employees’ paychecks between 2008 and 2011. The embezzled amount, approximately $503,000, does not include statutory interest owed.

As the owner of multiple businesses in Taney County, including Eagle Construction and Excavating, LLC, Gage Excavating, LLC, Gage Family Entertainment, LLC, and Hollister Pizza Company, LLC, Gage admitted to knowing his legal obligations but willfully refusing to pay over the taxes. He also hired a bookkeeper who reported the outstanding payroll tax due, yet Gage continued to avoid paying.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney prosecuted the case, and it was investigated by the FDIC Office of Inspector General and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

This conviction underscores the serious nature of financial crimes and the commitment of law enforcement to hold individuals accountable for their actions.