ALBANY – The State Department of Taxation and Finance Wednesday announced that Charles Wurf, part-owner of D.E.C. Copiers, Inc., at 6 North Route 9W in West Haverstraw was recently charged, along with the company, with filing fraudulent New York State sales tax returns and stealing over $286,000 in state sales tax for a five year period.

Wurf, 53, who resides in Valley Cottage, and D.E.C. Copiers, Inc. both pled guilty. Wurf pled to one count of grand larceny in the third degree, a felony, and D.E.C Copiers, Inc. pled to one count of grand larceny in the second degree, also a felony.

Wurf, one of four owners of D.E.C. Copiers, Inc., admitted he filed false state sales tax returns in order to steal $286,000 between March 1, 2003 and May 31, 2008.

Both defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in March.

An investigation into Wurf's business began in 2008, when an accountant hired by Wurf and D.E.C. Copiers, Inc., was charged with preparing false personal income tax returns for a Department of Taxation and Finance undercover officer who was posing as a small business owner.

As part of the accountant's plea agreement, which included pleading to a misdemeanor, paying a $50,000 fine, and surrendering his license to practice as a Certified Public Accountant, the accountant agreed to cooperate with the department on investigations into his clients. His cooperation included recording conversations with Wurf about filing false New York State sales tax returns for D.E.C. Copiers, Inc.