Custom Furniture Builders Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion

George Despotopoulos and Steve Tepelidis pleaded guilty to tax evasion today in the District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.

According to court documents, Despotopoulos and Tepelidis jointly owned and operated Furniture Design by Knossos, a custom furniture and cabinetry business.  They caused business checks to be cashed and used some of the cash to supplement their reported income.  The informations allege that Despotopolous and Tepelidis filed or caused to be filed false individual income tax returns for the 2007 tax year.  Both Despotopoulos and Tepelidis have agreed to pay over $300,000 each in restitution. 

Tax evasion carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jennifer Laraia of the Tax Division.