MARENGO – A federal grand jury Thursday charged the vice president of a Marengo asphalt paving company with providing false statements and concealing facts regarding an employee welfare and pension benefit plan and failing to collect taxes.
The federal indictment alleges that Brent Schroeder, vice president of Schroeder Asphalt Services Inc., made false statements and representations of fact in a document required by the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
Schroeder submitted a monthly remittance report in May 2012 where he allegedly falsely reported the number of hours his employees worked, according to the indictment.
Schroeder Asphalt Services is a family-owned and -operated company in Marengo founded in 1997. The business operates as a full-service asphalt paving company with more than 30 employees, according to its website.
The indictment also alleges that he falsely reported the amount of money owed to the Fox Valley Laborers Pension Fund from Schroeder Asphalt Services.
Schroeder also had the responsibility to collect federal employment taxes on a quarterly basis, which includes both the employees’ and employer’s share of FICA taxes on wages of individual employees of Schroeder Asphalt Services.
The indictment alleges that between Jan. 1, 2012, and April 16, 2012, Schroeder failed to collect about $2,207.24 in FICA taxes that were due for the first quarter of 2012.
For these alleged crimes, Schroeder was charged with false statements and concealment of facts in relation to documents required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and willful failure to collect or pay over tax. Schroeder faces fines and/or prison time.