An Angier businesswoman pleaded guilty Thursday in Wake County Superior Court to felony tax charges filed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue.
Anna Johnson Beasley, 60, of Old Stage Road, Willow Spring, pleaded guilty to nine counts of embezzlement of state property.
Wake County Superior Court Judge Michael O’Foghludha sentenced Ms. Beasley to two consecutive 16-month minimum to 29-month maximum prison terms. These sentences were suspended, and Ms. Beasley was placed on supervised probation for 60 months. As a condition of special probation, Ms. Beasley was ordered to serve 30 days in the Wake County Jail, and was ordered to pay the balance of $55,413 in restitution. Ms. Beasley paid $25,000 toward the total restitution amount of $80,413 prior to the plea.
Information presented in court showed that Ms. Beasley, the president of Busy Bee Developmental Learning Centers, aided the business to embezzle and convert to her own use $80,413 in North Carolina withholding tax from Jan. 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2016. During this period of time, Ms. Beasley was the person responsible for collecting state payroll taxes of employees and turning that money over to the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Courtesy The Daily Record
