Lancaster County businessman arrested on tax charges

South Carolina Department of Revenue investigators arrested the owner of a Lancaster County land clearing company today and charged him with tax evasion.

Brice M. Hunter, 39, who owns Carolina Land Clearing Company, was charged with 14 counts of failing to pay state withholding taxes and four counts of failing to pay state income taxes. He is being held at the Lancaster County Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

Hunter, a resident of Heath Springs, is accused by the Department of Revenue of failing to pay taxes withheld from his employees' wages from 1994 - 97. He also is accused of not paying his own state income taxes during that same period. Hunter's tax liability has not yet been determined.

If convicted of the charges, Hunter could be sentenced to five years in prison and fined up to $10,000 on each count.