A Hamden deli owner faces up to five years in prison for cheating on his federal taxes, prosecutors say.
Raymond George, 52, pleaded guilty Monday in Bridgeport federal court to one count of tax evasion, the Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
In addition to jail time, George could be ordered at his sentencing sometime this summer to pay an estimated $440,000 fine atop the $220,663 in back taxes, plus interest and penalties, he has agreed to repay, authorities.
According to investigators, George owns and operates Ray & Mike’s deli at 3030 Whitney Ave. in Hamden. Â
For the 2012 and 2013 tax years, George evaded payment of his federal income taxes in multiple ways, authorities said.
He used his Ray & Mike business account to pay personal expenses. George also deposited three large checks totaling nearly $300,000 from the deli’s bank account into his personal investment account, without reporting the funds as income, investigators said.Â
George then withdrew funds from the investment account to purchase personal investment properties. He also deposited a $25,800 check from the deli’s lottery account into his personal investment account without reporting the funds as income.
On his federal tax returns, George underreported his income by about $365,065 for the 2012 tax year, and by $273,108 for 2013 — failing to pay a total of approximately $220,000 in income taxes, authorities said.
