Mexican restaurant owner underreports cash sales by $5.1 million

LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) – The owner of several popular Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas has pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Raul Gil, 63, owned and operated three Casa Don Juan restaurants in the Las Vegas Valley.

The Justice Department reports that Gil had his accountant prepare false books and records for his restaurants that understated restaurant cash sales by approximately $5.1 million from 2014 to 2018.

According to authorities, Gil then provided the false documents to his tax preparer, who prepared Casa Don Juan’s corporate income tax returns and Gil’s personal income tax returns each year.

Because of the under-reporting, the Department of Justice declared that the Casa Don Juan companies’ tax returns were false for each of those years, and because the restaurant’s profits flowed personally to Gil, his tax returns Personal incomes for those years were also incorrect. .

Additionally, the DOJ said that because the man ordered the three restaurants to underreport their total sales, Nevada sales tax returns for the restaurants were also false during those years.

“Restaurant owners who engage in a large number of cash transactions should report all of their income, like everyone else,” said Acting Assistant Deputy Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Taxation Division. . “We will investigate and prosecute those who harm their honest competitors and fellow citizens by willfully evading these laws.”

According to the Justice Department, Gil caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $1.6 million.

Gil faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for tax evasion when he is due on November 10. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and financial penalties, according to authorities.

“In today’s challenging economic environment, it’s more important than ever that the American people have confidence that everyone is playing by the rules and paying the taxes they owe,” said Albert Childress, Special Agent in Charge. IRS criminal investigations. “Americans who file accurate, honest, and timely returns can be assured that the government will hold accountable those who do not.”

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