El Paso Standard

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation has led to federal prison sentences for two Jacksonville residents involved in a fraud scheme. Travis Morgan Slaughter and Tripp Charles Slaughter received sentences of 41 months and 21 months, respectively, after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges related to mail and wire fraud, as well as tax fraud.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker from ICE Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, Jacksonville office stated, "The Slaughters defrauded insurance companies of millions in workers’ compensation insurance premiums and will be responsible for financial restitution for the loss of insurance premiums and death and injury claims." He also noted their exploitation of hundreds of illegal aliens' labor.

The investigation revealed that the Slaughters operated a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme involving approximately 273 illegal alien employees. They compensated these workers through checks written to crew leaders and third parties, which were not recorded in official payroll records. This allowed them to evade federal payroll taxes and workers’ compensation insurance premiums.

As part of their sentencing, Travis Slaughter was ordered to forfeit $2,780,947.56, while Tripp Slaughter must forfeit $416,799.66. Additionally, Travis Slaughter is required to pay restitution totaling over $9 million to various entities including the IRS and insurance companies. Tripp Slaughter's restitution amounts to over $1 million.

Court documents reveal that since 2007, Travis Slaughter operated a roofing business under several names including Great White Construction and Florida Roofing Experts before it became 5 Star Roofing Services in January 2020 under Tripp Slaughter's incorporation. Despite name changes, the business maintained consistent operations with the same banking institutions and employees.

The company utilized professional employer organizations (PEOs) for payroll processing but failed to report all employee wages accurately. This resulted in unreported wages totaling approximately $23 million between October 2015 and June 2020, leading to significant unpaid payroll taxes.

Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker from the IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office commented on the case: "The actions of these two defendants represent a blatant disregard for U.S. law and our financial systems... Their scheme to evade millions of dollars in taxes not only undermined the integrity of our tax system but also created an unfair advantage."

This case was investigated by ICE HSI along with other agencies including IRS Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.