Veblen Dairy Operators Dodge $453K in Taxes, Says State

$452,888.40. That's how much the operators of the now-bankrupt Veblen mega-dairies have cheated the State of South Dakota.

This month, the State of South Dakota filed the following tax liens against Prairie Ridge Management, its manager Richard Millner, and Multi-Community Cooperative Dairy, the previous name under which Veblen West Dairy was organized:

Clippings from the Marshall County bank
scandal sheet, listing liens against Prairie
Ridge Management LLC, Richard Millner,
and Multi-community Cooperative Dairy,
October 2010. Click image to enlarge.

• 58608—Notice of Tax Lien—Against Prairie Ridge Management Company LLC, in favor of State of South Dakota, in the amount of $63,004.74, for unpaid Sales Tax for tax period September 2009–August 2010. Dated October 13, 2010.
• 58609—Notice of Tax Lien—Against Richard Millner, in favor of State of South Dakota, in the amount of $63,004.74, for unpaid Sales Tax for tax period September 2009–August 2010. Dated October 13, 2010.
• 58610—Notice of Tax Lien—Against Prairie Ridge Management Company LLC, in favor of State of South Dakota, in the amount of $273,087.48, for unpaid Use Tax for tax period January 2007–October 2009. Dated October 13, 2010.
• 58611—Notice of Tax Lien—Against Richard Millner, in favor of State of South Dakota, in the amount of $273,087.48, for unpaid Use Tax for tax period January 2007–October 2009. Dated October 13, 2010.
• 58612—Notice of Tax Lien—Against Prairie Ridge Management Company LLC, in favor of State of South Dakota, in the amount of $1,932.99, for unpaid Contractors' Excise Tax for tax period January 2007–October 2009. Dated October 13, 2010.
• 58613—Notice of Tax Lien—Against Richard Millner, in favor of State of South Dakota, in the amount of $1,932.99, for unpaid Contractors' Excise Tax for tax period January 2007–October 2009. Dated October 13, 2010.
• 58621—Notice of Tax Lien—Against Multi-community Cooperative Dairy, in favor of State of South Dakota, in the amount of $114,863.19, for unpaid Use Tax for tax period January 2004–December 2009. Dated October 14, 2010.

I'm assuming the identical amounts against Prairie Ridge Management LLC and Richard Millner are simply the state holding both the corporation and its manager accountable for cheating us tax payers of what we are due.

After all the environmental infractions and legal trickery, Richard Millner's machinations and bad business practices may finally be brought to a halt by a state Department of Revenue going Al Capone on the Veblen dairies and citing them for tax evasion. Seems appropriate.