Maine restaurateur goes to jail for underreporting sales tax
A Wells restaurateur has been sentenced to eight months in jail after pleading guilty to a number of tax related crimes.
Christo Stratos, the owner and operator of Christo’s Place in Sanford, was found guilty of theft by misapplication of sales tax; intentional evasion of sales tax; and failure to truthfully collect, account and pay sales tax in connection with the operation of the restaurant.
From 1990 to 2014, Stratos collected sales tax from patrons at the restaurant, but only turned a percentage to the Maine Revenue Services, and underreported the gross sales and resulting sales tax. The restaurant owner stole a total of $243,902 collected tax during this period of time, Attorney General Janet Mills said in a press release.
“Business owners are entrusted to collect sales tax on behalf of the state and properly pay it over to Maine Revenue Services. My Office will pursue and prosecute individuals who abuse this trust and steal these taxes," Mills said.
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