Rodney Minner, owner of two Rowdy Beaver restaurants in Eureka Springs, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Ft. Smith last week, admitting that he withheld employment taxes from paychecks but neglected to foward that money to the government. The plea agreement included an estimate of a half-million dollars – $1.5 million that Minner failed to pay.
Minner was indicted in April, and faced a total of 35 counts. A sentencing date has not been set, but he could face up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The Rowdy Beaver, on the western edge of Eureka Springs, opened in 2006 at the former location of West Oaks. The Rowdy Beaver Den later opened on Spring Street. Minner also owns Rowdy Beavers in Cassville and Branson, Mo.
Minner did not respond to a request for comment.