Press Release
Bridgeport Grocery Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax Charge
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that SAMIR FATTAH, 55, of Oxford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of filing a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, FATTAH and his father jointly own Abu-Goush Market, doing business as International Farmers Market (“AGM”), a grocery store in Bridgeport. FATTAH was responsible for AGM’s day-to-day operations, including making cash deposits to AGM’s business bank accounts. During 2011, 2012 and 2014, without his father’s knowledge and approval, FATTAH deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars of AGM’s net cash receipts into his personal bank accounts. FATTAH used some of the funds to pay AGM’s business expenses, but embezzled a total of $213,086 through this scheme.
FATTAH failed to pay federal income taxes on the embezzled income for the 2011, 2012 and 2014 tax years resulting in a total tax loss of $54,067.
FATTAH is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford on August 16, 2018, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years and a fine of up to $100,000. FATTAH also has agreed to repay the U.S. Treasury $54,067 in restitution for the taxes he failed to pay, and additional penalties and interest that have accrued on his unpaid taxes.
FATTAH is released on bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Updated May 24, 2018
Topics
Financial Fraud
Tax
Component