Walton County shoppers were surprised to find the popular store Mega Mike closed down Thursday morning after a raid by state officials, who said the owners have stolen more than $2 million in sales tax.
Channel 2 Action News reports The Georgia Department of Revenue seized the Monroe business and arrested Mike and Deborah Cash, who have allegedly been pocketing the sales tax paid by their customers for years.
The store, which opened in 1993, sells everything from home furniture to electronics and is a popular local shopping destination. According to their website, the 30-year-old Mike Cash family of companies "has built a reputation for hard work, innovation and service for our customer and our community."
The Cashes were still being held in the Walton County Jail on Thursday evening. They face felony theft by conversion charges for failing to turn in the sales tax they charged customers to the state.
“You’re paying full price and this money is supposed to come back to the local community to help pay police, fire, pave the roads, and that money never comes back,” Department of Revenue Chief Josh Waites told Channel 2.
Both the store and the Cashes’ Walton County home were turned over to state officials after the Thursday raid in an attempt to get back some of the stolen money, concluding an 8-month investigation into the business.
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