Closed Beech Creek Restaurant Owner Sentenced for Failure to Pay State Taxes

LOCK HAVEN – The owner of a longtime Beech Creek restaurant, arrested in July for failure to pay more than $100,000 in state taxes, was sentenced to a lengthy probation term in Clinton County Court on Monday.

Judge Michael Salisbury sentenced Donna Bittner, owner of the now closed Furst Corner Restaurant, to a term of 28 years probation. As part of a plea agreement the probation will be terminated after seven years if Bittner makes restitution of $114,456.81. At the time of her arrest in July the state Attorney General’s office said she failed to remit that amount in taxes due the commonwealth. Instead, prosecutors said, she used the money for business operations.

The total included $106,565.20 in sales tax and $7,891.61 in employer withholding taxes. She was charged with 94 counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds and related offenses.
The restaurant’s last day of operation was June 4 of this year and the business had been listed for sale for some time. Charles and Donna Bittner bought the building in 1986, restored the structure and opened the restaurant, serving diners for 31 years. At the time of the June shutdown it was reported that Mrs. Bittner was retiring.

The restaurant building dates to 1862, constructed by Beech Creek businessman George Furst.