By James Clark | email
LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - A Lubbock businessman is charged in federal court Tuesday. Mike Wooten is accused of falsifying documents to make it look like his business, West Texas Lighting, owed less state sales tax money.
Federal prosecutors claim the underlying offense is wire fraud but officially Wooten faces a much lesser charge called "Misprision Of A Felony". If convicted it could lead to a maximum penalty of three years in prison but often results in probation.
The charges do not say how much Wooten is accused of failing to turn over. But in one example, the court records say Wooten falsely reduced his tax liability by almost $12,000 in December of 2006. Court documents filed Tuesday indicate Wooten is free on pre-trial release.
Calls to the business Tuesday evening on two different phone numbers to offer Wooten a chance to comment were met with a busy signal.
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