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Haas sentenced to 24 months in prison
STORY TOOLS 
More from Other NewsLOS ANGELES — Gene Haas was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison today for conspiring to cheat the government out of millions of dollars in taxes owed by his company.
At the request of Haas' lawyers, the judge recommended the owner of Oxnard-based Haas Automation Inc. undergo treatment for drugs and alcohol.
At a sentencing hearing Monday, a judge ordered him to report to federal court Jan. 14, when he will be transported to prison.
Haas pleaded guilty in August. In his plea agreement, Haas, 54, took responsibility for one of 11 federal charges brought against him, agreeing to spend two years in prison. As part of the deal, he has paid more than $70 million in restitution and fines.
The conviction is a stunning setback for Haas, who had been regarded as an extraordinary success. He founded and built his company into the country's largest machine tool builder. Haas Automation remains one of Ventura County's larger employers, with about 1,100 workers at a manufacturing complex at 2800 Sturgis Road. Haas has also been one of Ventura County's most generous philanthropists.
Haas' plea followed a six-year investigation that snared five of his business associates, who all have pleaded guilty in connection with the tax fraud scheme.
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Posted by narc121 on November 5, 2007 at 10:46 p.m.
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