Enfield Restaurant Operator Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

An Enfield restaurant operator pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to two counts of tax evasion, admitting he failed to report more than a half million dollars in gross receipts.

George Carabase, 41, operator of Buona Vita Restaurant in the Shaker Pines Plaza on North Maple Street, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven, according to Deirdre M. Daly, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2010 and 2011 Carabase failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service approximately $550,000 in gross receipts generated by the restaurant. Daly said.

During the investigation of this matter, Carabase admitted to an undercover IRS agent that he understated the restaurant’s gross receipts on his income tax returns and provided false numbers to his accountant, Daly said.

In pleading guilty, Carabase admitted that he evaded payment of a total of $183,282 in income taxes when filing his income tax returns for 2010 and 2011, Daly said.

Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2016, at which time Carabase faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $100,000 for each count. As part of his guilty plea, Carabase has agreed to pay $208,132 in back taxes and interest, as well as applicable penalties, according to Daly.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.