Bridgeport Grocery Store Owner Sentenced to Prison for Failing to Pay Taxes on Embezzled Income

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SAMIR FATTAH, 55, of Oxford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to three months of imprisonment, three months of home confinement and one year of supervised release for filing false tax returns.

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. 

As part of his sentence, FATTAH has paid $54,067 in back taxes, plus penalties and interest.

On May 24, 2018, FATTAH pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return.    

FATTAH, who is released on bond, was ordered to report to prison on November 15, 2018.

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.