Businessman Pleads Guilty in Theft Cases

An Irvine businessman pleaded guilty this week to six felony counts of grand theft related to his tax and payroll business and was sentenced to eight years in state prison, authorities said.

Randall Dean Saylor, 38, also was ordered to pay more than $480,000 in restitution to six victims. Anaheim and Los Alamitos police officials said Saylor’s victims were clients of his business, Future Finances.

On Thursday, Saylor admitted in court to stealing from his clients from 1997 to 2000. The clients would give Saylor tax payments to be forwarded to the appropriate agencies, but he pocketed the money and gave them false documents stating that he had filed the returns and paid the taxes, officials in the Orange County district attorney’s office said.

Saylor also was sentenced to three years and 10 months for a probation violation on a similar 1998 conviction. That term will be served concurrently, authorities said.