March 12, 2002
For Immediate Release
P R E S S R E L E A S E
KENGO I. NOZAKI, age 61, was sentenced yesterday to 30 months incarceration for filing false tax returns by Senior United States District Court Judge Alan C. Kay. NOZAKI, the former manger of Kengo's Royal Buffet, was convicted after trial of filing a false corporate tax return for the year 1992 for Kapiolani Enterprises, Inc., dba, Kengo's Royal Buffet, and filing false individual tax returns for the years 1993 and 1994.
Edward H. Kubo, Jr., United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that according to evidence produced at trial, NOZAKI skimmed approximately $112,000 during 1992; $166,000 during 1993; and $68,000 during the first half of 1994 while he was the general manager of Kengo's Royal Buffet located on Kapiolani Boulevard. Several prior employees of Kengo's Royal Buffet testified that during this time period, NOZAKI skimmed profits from Kengo's Royal Buffet. According to trial evidence, the skimmed money was not reported on NOZAKI's personal tax returns or on the corporate tax return filed for 1992.
In addition to the thirty month sentence, Judge Kay ordered that NOZAKI be placed on supervised release for one year and pay approximately $7,200 in costs of prosecution.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue
Service Criminal Investigation Division. The prosecution was handled by
Assistant United States Attorney J. Michael Seabright.
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