Not paying taxes finally caught up to one Stillwater man to the tune of $20,000.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue (MDR) announced last week the Anoka County Attorney's Office had charged Randy Haugen, 50, with 20 felony counts of tax evasion.

Haugen faces five counts of failing to file income tax returns, five counts of failing to pay income taxes, five counts of failing to file sales tax returns and five counts of failing to remit sales taxes.

Tom Teale, the assistant director to the criminal investigation division at the MDR, said the case was investigated for six months before the department brought formal charges against Haugen.

An anonymous tip led authorities to Haugen. Authorities could not comment on the nature of the tip.

Teale said, generally speaking, if convicted Haugen likely won't serve prison time, but rather time in the county jail.

If convicted on all counts, Haugen faces a maximum penalty of 100 years in prison (5 years on each count) and up to $2 million in fines.

Haugen owned and operated an automotive repair business called All Auto Service (originally called R's Imports) in Spring Lake Park from 1991 until late 2006 or early 2007.

According to the criminal complaint, which was filed July 17, Haugen did not file or pay income taxes between 1991 and 2006. In addition, investigators allege Haugen, doing business as All Auto Service, did not file sales tax returns or remit sales tax to the state during the same years.

Teale said Haugen's company has since gone out of business. He was uncertain if Haugen was employed at this time.

An investigation found Haugen was charging his customers sales tax, but failed to remit the tax to the state.

Haugen told investigators he knew charges were likely coming and admitted he knew he should have been paying the taxes.

Haugen has his first court appearance Aug. 19.

He could not be reached for comment.

Unwelcome visitor

Police say a 22-year-old man from Lake Elmo stumbled into a stranger's house and passed out her coach early Saturday morning.

A 76-year-old woman was in her kitchen around 3:40 a.m. working a crossword puzzle because she couldn't sleep when she noticed a strange man walking up her stairs. Frightened, the woman ran to the home of a neighbor, who in turn called a member of her family who notified police.

When police arrived on the scene, they found the man passed out on her couch. The suspect told police he thought he was at a friend's house and had no idea how he got there.

The man, who told police he was drinking downtown, was booked and held in jail. Stillwater Police say it is likely the male will face disorderly conduct charges.

Worthless check

Todd Smith, 44, of Stillwater, was charged with issuing a dishonored check valued at more than $500.

According to the criminal complaint, in December of last year Smith wrote a $593 check for goods at Brine's Market in Stillwater.

The check bounced and Brine's Market has not been paid.

Once the check bounced, Brine's owner John Brine contacted Smith several times. Smith acknowledged that he had written the bad check and he would repay the money, but he never did.

It was later discovered the account on the check Smith used had been closed since August 2005.

Smith, if convicted, faces up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Miscellaneous mischief

A house on the 1000 block of Thorene Place was egged, toilet-papered and forked last weekend. (Forked is when placed plastic spoons are placed in the lawn and snapped in half.)

The complainant chased four juveniles through his neighbor's yard but was unable to catch them. He told police the juveniles were the same age as his daughter.

Suspicious package

A woman on the 1000 block of Curve Crest Boulevard had no idea what to think when she opened a piece of mail last weekend.

She received two photocopies of a birth certificate and a photocopy of a Minnesota driver license. She did not know the person in the documents. The package had no return address and a Stillwater Police officer could not locate the person in the documents.

Short cuts

Six drivers were issued tickets for driving around the "road closed" barricades set up for the Manning Avenue road construction project. Each driver was issued a $132 ticket. Police issued the citations on Sunday.

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Steve Morris covers crime, Washington County and the cities of Bayport and Stillwater for the Gazette. He can be reached at 651-796-1108.