Ex-park owner found guilty of tax evasion

AKRON (AP) -- The former owner of a historic amusement park and his wife have been convicted of tax evasion and conspiracy.
Gary Harris, 63, of Conneaut, Ohio, and his wife, Tamara Schwentker Harris, 34, were convicted of tax evasion and conspiracy charges in federal court here Tuesday.
Gary Harris' former business partner, Michael Kotula, 49, of Euclid, also was convicted.
Harris had owned the Conneaut Lake Park in Crawford County in Pennsylvania, but is no longer involved after losing a lawsuit last year.
Testimony and evidence showed that between Jan. 1, 1994, and July 8, 2003, the three used different corporations and trusts to hide income from Harris' businesses, one of which was the park.
They were indicted last year in Cleveland and went on trial Jan. 5 in Akron. Harris has been in federal custody since his arrest in July. He previously has been convicted of tax evasion for tax years 1987, 1989 and 1990. Kotula and Schwentker Harris remain free on bond. A sentencing date has not been set.
The amusement park has gone bankrupt three times, including twice during the 1990s, and is now controlled by Herbert Brill, a court-appointed trustee.