Urbana, Ill. – A Washington, Ill., man, Imad Ribhi Abdallah, has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison. On Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, U.S. District Judge Michael P. McCuskey ordered that Abdallah, a former owner of Ayat 1, Inc., which operated as Price Rite Food & Liquor in Decatur, Ill., and Genan 1 Inc., which operated as Super Saver Liquor in Peoria, Ill., serve 27 months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the IRS, mail fraud, and making false statements concerning health care benefits. According to court documents, Abdallah was also ordered to pay restitution in the amounts of $638,894 to the IRS in unpaid taxes and $27,320 to the Illinois Department of Human Services related to fraudulently obtained benefits. Abdallah was ordered to report on Feb. 20, 2013, to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his prison sentence.

On Jan. 21, 2011, Abdallah entered pleas of guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS related to corporate income tax returns filed on behalf of Genan 1 Inc. and Ayat 1 Inc., which under-reported taxable income and tax due and owing. Abdallah also pled guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of making false statements to obtain health care benefits.

The charges were investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Illinois Department of Revenue. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson.