A Milford man is heading to prison for trafficking in stolen goods and defrauding the IRS.

60-year-old Viorel Pricop was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Detroit to 26 months in jail and ordered to repay nearly $502,000 in restitution following his guilty plea to one count of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property and one count of Aiding or Assisting the Preparation of a False Return. From 2010 through 2014 Pricop earned a substantial income as the owner of Twin Twisters Trucking and Good Time, LLC in Milford, which he failed to report on his tax returns. Officials say Pricop and his wife, Mihaela, engaged in the trafficking of stolen goods, using the proceeds to buy cars and real estate.

The activity came to light in February of 2015 when a Michigan State Police Trooper responded to the Storage King on Grand River in Wixom to locate a load of stolen Bose stereos from New Mexico. A trucking company had installed tracking devices in the load and informed police. Pricop admitted the equipment in the storage unit was stolen as well as another unit that contained electronic, clothing and household goods.

Three days later, he fled with his family to Canada, the same day a search warrant was executed at his home in Milford and a large pole barn on property off Rowe Road near North Milford Road. The two searches reportedly yielded nearly 60 pounds of marijuana and more than $1 (m) million in merchandise, including a red Ferrari and silver Mercedes Benz.

Pricop voluntarily returned to the U.S. to face trial, while his wife, who was also indicted in the scheme, has reportedly since fled to Romania. (JK)