The founders of Neways, who were found guilty last year of six counts of income tax evasion and a conspiracy to defraud the IRS charge, were each sentenced Wednesday to serve more than two years in federal prison.

Thomas E. Mower and his former wife, Leslie D. Mower, the founders of Springville-based multi-level marketing company Neways, were convicted of not paying personal income tax on about $3.2 million, which prosecutors say came from their companies Neways U.S., Neways Australia and Neways Malaysia. They were indicted in 2003.

Thomas Mower will spend 33 months in federal prison and serve 36 months of supervised release and pay a fine of more than $75,000. Leslie Mower was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, a $60,000 fine and 36 months of supervised release.

The former corporate attorney for Neways, James Thompson, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Thompson was sentenced to spend a year and a day in federal prison.

The tax evasion, which lasted from 1989 to 2002, according to court documents, mounted to a total individual tax loss of $1,262,081.

Daily Herald – Neways founders get 2 years in prison

With a nod to Kim Klaver’s Blog and Comments Section.