Enfield Restaurant Operator to Serve Prison Time for Tax Evasion

ENFIELD, CT - A restaurant operator who pleaded guilty in February to two counts of tax evasion was sentenced Friday to federal prison.

George Carabase, 41, of Enfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, according to Deirdre M. Daly, United States 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 Buona Vita Restaurant, a restaurant he operates in Enfield, Daly said.

During the investigation of this matter by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, 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.

Carabase pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion on Feb. 22, 2016, admitting 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.

To date, Carabase has paid $60,000 in back taxes. Judge Meyer ordered him to pay an additional $149,926 in back taxes and interest, according to Daly.