Kansas City business owner sentenced to prison for tax fraud

A Kansas City business owner was sentenced Tuesday to more than two years in federal prison for tax fraud after keeping payroll taxes collected from his employees.

Joseph P. Balano, 54, pleaded guilty in August. He owned Global Employment Group, Inc., doing business as Staffing Connections in Grandview and Kansas City, according to court documents.

From 2008 to 2009, instead of paying the taxes to the government, Balano kept $260,770 for his personal use, spending it on gambling, mortgage payments on his home and lake house, and car payments. Balano also failed to pay $232,672 more in taxes.

The court sentenced Balano to two years and three months in prison and ordered him to pay $493,443 in restitution.

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Kansas City business owner sentenced to prison for tax fraud."