Deena M. Hintz, a business owner from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to one year in federal prison for willfully failing to pay employment taxes. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley after Hintz pleaded guilty on December 17, 2024.
Hintz owned Jade Excavation and Trucking in Elk Mound, Wisconsin, which employed up to fifteen people providing excavation and snow plowing services. From 2017 to 2021, she deducted over $400,000 in federal employment taxes from her employees' payroll but did not remit these funds to the government.
Judge Conley emphasized the need for a prison sentence due to the significant amount of money withheld and misused by Hintz and her business partner. In addition to the prison term, Hintz was ordered to pay restitution totaling $482,185.46 for tax losses.
The investigation leading to the charge against Hintz was conducted by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson.