LYON COUNTY (KSNT) – An Emporia business was raided by the Kansas Department of Revenue civil tax enforcement today with the help of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office. Tru Gamer, owned by Bradley A. Robbins, owes $34,862.37 in state sales tax according to the KDR.
The Sheriff’s Office tweeted a photo out of the front of Tru Gamer, a video game business with the message that the action involved “seizure of property”. In fact, in the photo taken by a Sheriff’s deputy, you can clearly see a hot pink piece of paper taped to the window with the word “SEIZED” printed in large, black font across the page.
According to a news release, officers seized all known bank accounts, on-site cash, business inventory, and personal property assets belonging to the owner Robins. Law enforcement sealed the business at 1601 W. 6th Street closed. The assets seized will be sold at public auction to recoup the taxes owed to the state.
The business opened in December 2013 according to an article from the Emporia Gazette. According to that same article, the business re-located from Coffeyville where it first opened in 2011. Tru Gamer’s Facebook page has 961 likes but the last post was nearly a month ago. Tru Gamer is listed as a member of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce on their website. A chamber newsletter shows they first joined in February 2014.
The business is owned by Brad Robbins although his brother Jeff helps run the store that’s open 7 days a week according to an April feature from The Bulletin, Emporia State’s student-run newspaper. In a more recent article published little more than 2 months ago by ESU’s paper, owner Brad Robbins was quoted as saying that “there is definitely enough room here in Emporia for both of us” when asked about a new competitor, Game Cycle, opening in town.
KSNT News sent an email Monday afternoon to a contact listing for Mr. Robbins asking for a response to the action taken by the Department of Revenue.
The Department of Revenue notes that “Only after several unsuccessful collection attempts, does the department take the action of seizing assets, which in this instance resulted in the business being closed.” The KDR says standard practice is to “continually encourage delinquent taxpayers” to “voluntarily enter into a repayment agreement”.
The tax warrant was filed in Lyon County for December 2013 through September 2014.
