Investigations
Guilty Plea in Motor Fuel Tax Evasion Case
Summary
Thomas W. Quinton, Cherry Hill Village, CO pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Denver to charges of 98 counts of mail fraud and 15 counts of tax evasion for failing to pay more than $7.5 million in Federal motor fuel excise taxes. Quinton operated two wholesale motor fuel distribution companies that sold fuel obtained tax-free to 20 truck stops he owned in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. The price paid by the gas stations included stated and federal excise taxes. The loss to the three states is believed to be more than $10 million. Sentencing is set for October 29. Quinton’s wife, Sandra J. Westphal, who faces similar charges, is in jail in Canada awaiting extradition.