Jacksonville, FL– Two Jacksonville brothers, Travis and Tripp Slaughter, both roofing contractors, have pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after being involved in schemes that concealed approximately $23 million in payroll. The brothers operated their businesses partially “off the books,” avoiding payroll taxes and underpaying workers’ compensation insurance. Their guilty pleas include mail and wire fraud conspiracy, as well as conspiring to defraud the IRS, with each facing a maximum potential sentence of 25 years in prison. Their sentencing dates have not yet been scheduled.
As part of their plea agreements, Travis Slaughter agreed to forfeit about $2.8 million and pay $9.8 million in restitution, while Tripp Slaughter will forfeit $417,000 and pay $1.2 million in restitution. The indictment initially charged them with 22 counts, though the plea deal settled on only two crimes each. Prosecutors also noted that many of their roofing employees were undocumented workers who were living and working in the U.S. illegally.
The brothers owned and operated three roofing companies—Great White Construction, Florida Roofing Experts, and 5 Star Roofing Services. They misrepresented payroll data to professional employer organizations (PEOs), which handled payroll taxes and workers’ compensation insurance. By reporting only a portion of their payrolls through the PEOs and paying the rest of the wages in separate, off-the-books checks, they were able to reduce their labor costs significantly.
Travis Slaughter’s plea detailed that between 2015 and 2020, Great White Construction failed to report $8.8 million in payroll, Florida Roofing hid $12.8 million, and 5 Star Roofing concealed $1.4 million. The uncollected payroll taxes from these hidden wages amounted to $4.3 million. Additionally, both brothers underreported their personal income taxes, with Travis owing an additional $2.5 million and Tripp owing about $264,000 to the IRS.
Travis Slaughter was previously entangled in a legal battle with OSHA over a $2.2 million fine for workplace safety violations. A judge recently approved the government’s move to liquidate his family’s real estate assets to recover the unpaid fine. With both brothers now convicted, their roofing businesses and financial dealings remain under scrutiny as authorities work to recover unpaid taxes and penalties.
