Mar 1, 2013 2 min read

The owner of a North Strabane Township auto repair shop and his wife recently pleaded guilty and received probation for failing to pay state sales and income taxes.

Raymond William Cessna, 58, and Pamela Jean Cessna, 53, both of 57 Hot House Lane, North Strabane, both pleaded guilty Feb. 15 before Judge Katherine Emery to 7 counts of willful failure to file and remit employer withholding tax, court records show.

They also pleaded guilty to three counts of theft by failure to make the required disposition of funds, two counts of willful failure to file and remit sales tax, one count of conspiracy and one count of aiding consummation of crime.

Both received 18 months of probation, a $500 fine and were ordered to pay restitution on the remainder of the unpaid taxes, court records show.

The Cessnas were accused of failing to turn over more than $30,000 in collected sales tax to the state over a three-year period from 2009 to 2011, as well as failing to remit more than $2,500 in employer withholding tax.

Raymond Cessna operated Cessna Auto Body, which he reportedly started in 1973. He prepared the estimates and works on the vehicles while Pamela Cessna kept the books, authorities said.

In June, the state attorney general’s office received information from a criminal tax investigator with the state’s Department of Revenue. The investigation indicated that a revenue enforcement collections agent had not been able to procure any tax filings for 2011 or secure delinquent tax money since May 2009.

The business’ sales tax license was revoked in September 2010.

Pamela Cessna remains in the Washington County jail on $100,000 bond while awaiting trial for allegedly burglarizing three homes in North Strabane, South Strabane and Somerset townships, along with her 21-year-old son, Nicholas Cessna. He is also in jail on $100,000 bond while awaiting trial.