Otte
GOSHEN – A Slate Hill man pled guilty in Orange County Court on Monday to criminal tax fraud and endangering public health, safety or the environment, in connection with businesses he operated on Route 6 in Wawayanda.
Under terms of the plea agreement with Judge Robert Freehill, Raymond Otte, 55, would plead guilty and be required to pay all of the stolen sales tax, clean up his property and pay $15,000 in additional civil forfeiture.
District Attorney David Hoovler said the prosecution was undertaken as part of the state’s Crimes Against Revenue Program.
“Orange County, as far as CARP – crimes against revenue – that’s tax dollars being stolen from the taxpayers, we were fourth in the state in total recoveries, bring them back, which is incredible in a county with only 380,000 people when you compare it to the rest of the counties that participate in the program,” Hoovler said.
The State Police, Department of Taxation and Finance and the Department of Environmental Conservation participated in the investigation that led to the arrest and prosecution of Otte.
