Two operators of a veterinary clinic in Monroe County were sentenced to prison for failure to remit payroll taxes.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that 58-year-old Dr. Karin Breitlauch of Saylorsburg and 64-year-old Linda Breitlauch of Stroudsburg were each sentenced on May 20th to a year and one day imprisonment for failure to remit payroll taxes from their veterinary business.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Karin Breitlauch is a veterinarian who owns and operates Creature Comforts Veterinary Service in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. Linda Breitlauch, her sister, is the comptroller for the business.

Between 2013 and 2016, the Breitlauchs withheld federal income taxes from their employees’ paychecks but failed to remit the withholdings to the IRS for tax quarters 2013 through 2016 and failed to pay the employer portion of the payroll taxes.

This money included Social Security payments that would benefit their employees. When some employees went to collect their Social Security benefits their earnings while employed at the veterinary clinic were not recorded with the Social Security Administration.

The Breitlauchs were ordered to pay $2,486,495.99 in restitution and serve 3 years of supervised release following their incarceration. Judge Mannion ordered the Breitlauchs to surrender themselves to the Bureau of Prisons on July 29th to commence their sentence.