Former builder loses appeal

TAMPA — An appellate court upheld the convictions and sentencing of John Stanton III for failing to file tax returns and misleading tax authorities when he was president of a Seffner-based construction company.

According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed the conviction of Stanton and upheld Stanton's 10-year prison sentence for those convictions.

Stanton was president of Florida Engineered Construction Products in Seffner, also known as Cast Crete Corp. He failed to file tax returns for the company and for himself for several years, according to the U.S. Attorney's statement. When the IRS investigated him and his companies, Stanton provided misleading information. As a result, the IRS lost more than $50 million in revenues.