Xe Services, the security firm formerly known as Blackwater, owes a North Carolina county millions in back taxes, officials say.
Camden County Manager Randell Woodruff says the company, already the county's biggest taxpayer, owes almost $2.9 million, including penalties and interest, for aircraft based there but used around the world.
About 50 aircraft worth some $80 million have been based the complex in Moyock, N.C., called the U.S. Training Center over the past six years, reports The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Va., citing Federal Aviation Administration and satellite maps.
"I was always noticing tons of helicopters and airplanes," Woodruff said. "I was always wondering: 'Is any of this equipment registered with the county? Why isn't this part of the Camden County tax base?'"
He hired an appraiser to research the aircraft in June.