By Railfan & Railroad Staff

Gregory Vreeland, owner of the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison after pleading guilty to failing to pay employment taxes. 

According to federal prosecutors, Vreeland failed to file employment tax forms for the railroad from the fourth quarter of 2017 through all of 2021. He also did not pay employment taxes for a motel he owned. Instead, Vreeland used the employee withholdings to buy land and equipment to expand the railroad’s operations, and to purchase a personal residence in Springbrook, Wis. Prosecutors noted that Vreeland had previously failed to pay employment taxes in 2014 and 2016, and ignored requests from the IRS to do so until it began levying bank accounts. 

The Wisconsin Great Northern operates excursions out of Trego, Wis., and is perhaps best known for owning the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Mark Twain Zephyr.