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SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) _ A roofing contractor could face six years in prison after pleading guilty to cheating the state government out of nearly $1.4 million in insurance and tax money.

Kenneth Scott Cooper, 50, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Marin County Superior Court to committing one count each of filing false statements with the state Department of Insurance, making false statements to the Employment Development Department and filing false income tax reports with the Franchise Tax Board.

He could also be ordered to pay restitution to the state when he is sentenced Jan. 13.

The false reporting began Jan. 1, 1999, when he tried to reduce his workers' compensation premiums by paying workers partially in cash so their paycheck stubs reflected lower wages than they actually earned, Marin Deputy District Attorney Judith Brown said.

"It's a true paper crime," Brown said. "This is rampant in the construction industry because roofers have some of the highest workers' compensation costs."

Neither Cooper nor his attorney, James Collins, could be reached for comment.