Beachys plead to reduced charges

By Jane Beathard

Staff Writer

The owners of the former Beachy Cabinet Company near Plain City pleaded guilty on Thursday to reduced charges of fraud, involving the state workers’ compensation system.

Randall Beachy, 51, 6120 Taylor-Blair Rd., and wife Linda Beachy, 49, same address, were convicted in Madison County Common Pleas Court of defrauding the state of more than $200,000 between 2006 and 2009. Sentencing for the couple is set for Feb. 21.

The Beachys were each indicted in June on eight felony counts of failing to collect and pay the required taxes on their employees and defrauding the state system for injured workers over several years.

The indictments followed an investigation by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office of business dealings at the former custom cabinet shop at 8005 Lafayette-Plain City Rd.

On Thursday, Mr. Beachy pleaded guilty to one count of failing to collect and pay the required taxes between Dec. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009 — a fifth-degree felony that could put him in prison for a year and cost him a $2,500 fine.

He also pleaded guilty to three counts of defrauding the state system between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2009. Those charges are fourth-degree felonies, each punishable by up to 18 months in prison and $5,000 in fines.

Mrs. Beachy pleaded guilty to five first-degree misdemeanors of attempted failure to collect and pay workers’ comp taxes and attempted fraud of the system between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2008.

The convictions are each punishable by up to 180 days in jail and $1,000 in fines.

Under Ohio’s current criminal sentencing guidelines, the Beachys will probably never see a jail cell. Instead, they will likely be placed on community control, pending the outcome of pre-sentence investigations.