A Catawba County resident pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges filed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

Karen A. Copeland pleaded guilty on Oct. 25, 2006 to two counts of failure to file and failure to pay the state individual income tax.

Copeland was issued a 45-day suspended sentence and placed on supervised probation for five years. The probation can be terminated when the tax debt is paid in full. She pays $20,169.78 in restitution, a $50 fine and court costs. Copeland once operated her own business, Karen Copeland Accountants, Inc. in Hickory. The business closed recently and the judge ordered her not to offer her services as a tax preparer to the public.

The charges against Copeland are the result of efforts by the Department’s Hickory Collections Division.

Last modified on: 10/31/07 03:44:17 PM .