Trumbull farmer gets plea deal in unfiled-federal-tax case

The farmer has been placed on house arrest.

STAFF REPORT

CLEVELAND — A farmer from Farmdale in northern Trumbull County will be spending more time at home after pleading guilty to charges of failing to file federal income-tax returns.

Ross T. Whetson, owner of Sunny Slope Farm and Greenhouses, appeared for sentencing Friday before Magistrate Nancy Vecchiarelli of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Cleveland.

Whetson, under a plea agreement, pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to file taxes.

Judge Vecchiarelli sentenced Whetson to six months of house arrest.

Whetson also was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to cooperate with authorities in the payment of his back taxes, fines, fees and interest owed to the IRS from 1999 through 2008.

Whetson could have received up to two years in jail on the two misdemeanor charges. He also could have faced fines of up to $200,000.

Whetson originally was charged with failing to file tax returns in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Court records show that Whetson had a combined income of $1,056,017 for all three years.

Whetson and prosecutors reached an agreement in October 2009 whereby Whetson agreed to plead guilty to two counts of failing to pay taxes.

Prosecutors agreed to drop the third count of failing to pay taxes.

Records show Whetson owes $6,111 in taxes for the years he is charged in the plea agreement.

Frank Brown, special information officer for the IRS, said Whetson has been cooperating with authorities in resolving the matter.

“He is currently cooperating with the IRS and has been filing tax returns for past years,” he said.

“Approximately 40 tax returns have been filed for him, his family and the business.”