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SCRANTON — A Florida businessman with Hazleton ties was sentenced to six months in prison and two years on supervised released for failing to send employee payroll taxes to the IRS.

Joel Fuller, 46, will now have to pay more than $300,000, which includes restitution for his own personal income taxes that he did not pay, authorities report.

Fuller, who owned Mabro Marketing Inc. and Integrity Travel Solutions LLC, withheld federal income taxes from employees’ paychecks but failed to turn them over, according to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler.

The businesses, both based in Hazleton, provided time-share marketing services to clients on behalf of vacation companies.

“From 2010 through 2013, Fuller’s businesses withheld federal income taxes from employees’ paychecks, including income taxes and Federal Insurance Contribution Act taxes, but failed to remit those taxes and the businesses’ portions of those taxes to the IRS. The taxes were instead used by Fuller to fund his lifestyle,” said a press release from Brandler.

The total amount of unremitted taxes from both businesses combined was $180,783. Fuller also did not pay $136,734 owed to the IRS for his own personal tax returns, from 2005 through 2013, the release states.

Besides sentencing him to prison time, United States District Judge Richard Conaboy ordered Fuller to pay $317,517 in restitution to the IRS.

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By Melanie Mizenko

[email protected]

Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko