State-Journal.com - Rocco's owner failed to make payments

Randall Blankenship Jr.

Two months after his restaurant was shut down, Rocco’s Pizza owner Randall Blankenship Jr., 37, of Versailles, has been indicted on charges of failing to make payments and writing bad checks to the Revenue Department.

Blankenship’s problems started in May when the state sued him for failing to pay sales and withholding taxes between May 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2008.

The delinquent taxes totaled more than $23,000, Commonwealth’s Attorney Larry Cleveland said.

Blankenship agreed to pay approximately $40,000 in back taxes plus penalties and interest in August.

The order set the interest rate at 12 percent annually.

As part of the agreement, Blankenship agreed to pay the Revenue Department $1,000 a month toward his debt and paid $7,000 to stay open.

Franklin Circuit Judge Philip Shepherd signed an order Oct. 12 to shut down the business because Blankenship violated the agreement, court documents say.

Blankenship also sent two cold checks to the Revenue Cabinet for sales taxes on Nov. 20, 2008, and Aug. 3, his indictment says.

The checks totaled about $2,900, Cleveland said.

Revenue Department Director Tammy Watts and Blankenship could not be reached for comment.

Blankenship faces charges of theft by failure to make required deposition of property and two counts of theft by deception.

The restaurant was located on Northgate Drive and opened a location in Lawrenceburg earlier this year.

In other grand jury action Wednesday:

>Local contractor Wendell Marrs, 39, of 5200 Huntington Woods Road, was indicted on charges of not repairing a roof after being paid by the homeowners.

Marrs received $5,700 from Tom and Karen Doyle, of Raintree Road, in June to buy supplies and materials, Cleveland said.

“He didn’t do anything else after that except give excuses as to why he wasn’t there putting the roof on.”

Marrs worked for ABS Roofing, Cleveland said.

>Danny J. Reyes, 26, of 419 Owenton Ave., was indicted on charges of shoplifting and fighting with a loss prevention officer at Walmart.

Reyes stole a pair of prescription glasses, shampoo and hair conditioner, Cleveland said.

When a loss prevention officer stopped Reyes outside the store, Reyes fought him, Cleveland said.

“It would be a misdemeanor theft if he hadn’t fought with the loss prevention officer.”

Reyes is charged with second-degree robbery.

>Desmond Hall, 22, and Richard Haliburton, 24, both of Louisville, were indicted on charges of robbing two juveniles in Silver Lake.

Haliburton drove Hall into the neighborhood Nov. 11 and approached the two victims on the 1000 block of Quarter Mile Way, Cleveland said.

Hall pointed a gun at them and demanded money, and the two juveniles gave him $30, Cleveland said.

The victims identified the men, and police found them a short time later, Cleveland said.

Hall faces charges of first-degree robbery, and Haliburton faces charges of first-degree complicity to robbery.

>Former Wayne County Court Clerk Jennifer M. Turpin, 36, of Monticello, was indicted on charges of tax fraud.

Turpin, who was convicted of embezzlement and faces 10 years in prison, embezzled $140,000 in unreported income between Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2008, Cleveland says.

Turpin could receive shock probation after serving 180 days, Cleveland said. She was sentenced Nov. 11, court documents show.

>Brandon Bishop, 21, of Columbia, was indicted on charges of not reporting earnings in a property transfer.

Cleveland says Bishop bought the home of his stepfather, Randy Murray, for an unknown amount of money during construction of a bypass in Adair County.

The Transportation Cabinet bought the home from Bishop for $280,000 to move it, Cleveland said. Bishop bought it back at salvage value, or $20,000, Cleveland said.

Murray bought the house back from Bishop for $530,000 after the home was moved, court documents show.

Bishop earned $456,000 through the transactions and failed to report it to the Revenue Cabinet, Cleveland said.

>Coal operator Robert Hughes, 56, of Banner, was indicted on charges of withholding money from employees’ pay and not reporting it to the Revenue Cabinet.

Hughes owns Black Energy Coal and withheld about $14,000, Cleveland said.