Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Paul Stanford, founder of the Portland, Ore.-based The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, pleaded guilty in Marion County Circuit Court in Salem, Ore., yesterday to one count of state tax evasion. Stanford agreed to a sentence of 18 months probation and 160 hours of community service.
Stanford said today that fighting the case would have cost over $100,000 and hundreds of hours of time, so he decided to end it.
"They offered me a plea bargain to take a single misdemeanor, and all I had to do was pay $202 in court costs and 160 hours of community service," Stanford said. "I run my own non profits, so I can do community service for any of the groups I'm the director of."
Stanford said he was also given 18 months of bench probation, which has fewer requirements or restrictions than normal probation.
Stanford was arrested and arraigned in March on two counts of failure to file personal income taxes for 2008 and 2009. Soon after, he filed his returns and paid $6,043 for 2009 and $4,485 for 2008.
Stanford has contended that a string of bad bookkeepers left him with destroyed records, which left him struggling to recreate the records on which to file taxes, and that the Oregon Department of Justice knew about his situation.
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: mjbusinessreport.com
Copyright: 2011 DealFlow Media, Inc.
Contact: Contact DealFlow Media
Website: Association Leader Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion
Stanford said today that fighting the case would have cost over $100,000 and hundreds of hours of time, so he decided to end it.
"They offered me a plea bargain to take a single misdemeanor, and all I had to do was pay $202 in court costs and 160 hours of community service," Stanford said. "I run my own non profits, so I can do community service for any of the groups I'm the director of."
Stanford said he was also given 18 months of bench probation, which has fewer requirements or restrictions than normal probation.
Stanford was arrested and arraigned in March on two counts of failure to file personal income taxes for 2008 and 2009. Soon after, he filed his returns and paid $6,043 for 2009 and $4,485 for 2008.
Stanford has contended that a string of bad bookkeepers left him with destroyed records, which left him struggling to recreate the records on which to file taxes, and that the Oregon Department of Justice knew about his situation.
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: mjbusinessreport.com
Copyright: 2011 DealFlow Media, Inc.
Contact: Contact DealFlow Media
Website: Association Leader Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion
