Local Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Theft

Springfield, TN - A Springfield businessman is guilty of theft after filing false sales tax returns. The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to Friday’s guilty plea of Bruce M. Head, President of Stewart Williams Company, Inc., in Springfield. Judge Robert T. Bateman accepted Head’s guilty plea to one count of theft over $10,000. Head was ordered to pay $255,601.00 in restitution to the Department and placed him on five-years’ probation. Head’s guilty plea stemmed from charges he filed false sale tax returns from December 2014 through August 2017 on behalf of the Stewart Williams Company.

“The Department of Revenue promotes voluntary taxpayer compliance by educating taxpayers, aggressively pursuing criminal sanctions and demanding accountability when taxpayers engage in fraudulent activity," said Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano. "This plea underscores the department's ongoing efforts to enforce Tennessee's tax laws."

The Department pursed this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Robert J. Nash’s office.  Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee's revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2022 fiscal year, it collected $20.9 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $4.3 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.

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