South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) agents today arrested a Georgetown County man and charged him with four counts of tax evasion.

John Michael Prochniak, 52, failed to timely file South Carolina Individual Income Tax returns for tax years 2015 – 2018, according to arrest warrants. He also filed a Withholding Allowance Certificate with his employer claiming to be "exempt" from having taxes withheld from his wages. Prochniak evaded a total of $8,440 in taxes over four years, according to the warrants.

If convicted, Prochniak faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or $10,000 in fines per count. He is being held at the Georgetown County Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

The SCDOR is committed to the fair administration of tax laws. By taking enforcement action against noncompliant taxpayers, the Department seeks to prevent unfairly increasing the tax burden on those who do comply. 

If you suspect or know of anyone or a business that has committed a state tax crime, such as tax evasion or tax fraud, contact SCDOR Criminal Investigation and submit a Tax Violation Complaint Form (CID- 27) to criminalinvestigation@dor.sc.gov or mail it to SCDOR, CID, PO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214-0930.   

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