Rochester Restauranteur Sentenced For Tax Evasion

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Konstantinos Votsis, 64, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of tax evasion, was sentenced to six months home confinement by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Gerace. The defendant was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service at the Open Door Mission. Votsis must also pay restitution of approximately $308,000 and forfeit $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who handled the matter, stated that Votsis owned and controlled Rookies Neighborhood Sports Bar, a restaurant and bar in Gates, NY In 2009, the defendant learned of a pending audit of his sales taxes, and in response, directed that sales data contained in Rookies’ point-of-sale computer system be deleted. This data, which was later recovered by the Government, showed that Votsis failed to report $986,660 in income from his Rookies business from 2006 through 2008. By concealing such income, the defendant evaded paying $308,062 in taxes that he owed to the Internal Revenue Service.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Shantelle P. Kitchen, Special Agent in Charge.