John Bays Sued Him Twice, Now Joliet Harold's Shrimp & Chicken Owner Faces 6 Felony Charges

JOLIET, IL — The Illinois Department of Revenue has obtained a Will County grand jury indictment bringing criminal charges against 50-year-old Chicagoan George Anderson III, the Harold's Shrimp & Chicken restaurant owner who occupied space at John Bays' Catholic Charities Building at 203 N. Ottawa St. in downtown Joliet.

Anderson's indictment includes criminal charges of theft, three crimes of sales tax evasion and two crimes of wire fraud. The wire fraud charges indicate that Anderson made a false representation in November 2023 indicating that his 201 North Ottawa Corporation, doing business as Harold's Shrimp & Chicken, had taxable sales of $22,389 for 2022, when Anderson knew that such representation was false.

Anderson also made a false representation to the Illinois Department of Revenue in October 2023, indicating his Harold's Shrimp & Chicken had taxable sales of $76,881 for 2020 to 2021 when Anderson knew that was false, the court files allege.

The felony theft charge alleges that Anderson's Harold's Shrimp and Chicken corporation called 201 North Ottawa Corporation engaged in the business of selling food and beverages in Joliet and he failed to pay Illinois Sales Tax owed to the Illinois Department of Revenue during the period of Jan. 1, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2022 which exceeded $10,000, "based upon fraudulent tax filings with the State of Illinois, the last of which occurred on Nov. 6, 2023, such that the period of the statute of limitations starts at the time the last act was performed."

As for Anderson's tax evasion crimes, the court records indicate he misrepresented the total sales and sales tax collected on behalf of the Illinois Department of Revenue for the time frame of Jan. 1, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2021, and Jan. 1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 2022 "and the amount of the tax, assessments or payment of which was attempted to be or was evaded is more than $10,000 but not more than $100,000."

The third tax evasion charge alleges Anderson knowingly failed to file a Sales Tax return for the period of Feb. 28, 2023 through Aug. 31, 2023, and the resulting in a minimum criminal financial harm to the state of Illinois exceeded $100.

Anderson lives in the 200 block of West Lake Street in Chicago, and he has not been taken into custody. Instead, Will County Circuit Clerk Andrea Lynn Chasteen has mailed him a summons notifying him to show up at the Will County Courthouse at 9 a.m. on April 2 in Courtroom 405 and "your failure to appear on the date specified may result in a warrant being issued for your arrest."

The Harold's restaurant went out of business in Joliet in the summer of 2024. In January, Bays filled the vacancy with the addition of Joliet's first Baby's Cheesesteak and Lemonade.

Joliet Patch interviewed George Anderson on a handful of occasions when he first opened his Harold's Shrimp & Chicken in downtown Joliet in late December 2019. At the time, Anderson told Joliet Patch he wanted to be known for his shrimp and his fish.

Joliet marked Anderson's fourth Harolds franchise. His others were in Downers Grove, Dolton and Miami Beach, Fla. He said he would open his fifth restaurant in St. Louis in February, he said.

"We always will have fresh food, just expect a 12-to-15-minute wait because everything is cooked fresh," Anderson told Joliet Patch.

When Joliet Patch asked Anderson who will patronize his downtown Joliet Harold's, he said he wanted to attract the prison guards at the Stateville Correctional Center, staff from the Will County Jail, employees from Will County's Courthouse, people from across the street at Harrah's Casino & Hotel, officers at the Joliet Police Department, and students from Joliet Junior College's Culinary Arts building and the University of St. Francis satellite campus.

"I feel like it's a prime location," Anderson said. "I think we've got the best chicken and shrimp in town."

He also thanked Joliet real estate investor John Bays for the opportunity to expand his restaurant franchise into Joliet.

"I'm looking to do more things in the city of Joliet," Anderson added.

In September 2023 and again in March 2024, John Bays Enterprise LLC filed civil lawsuits against Anderson at the Will County Courthouse. The lawsuits noted that Anderson's terms of his lease obligated him to pay monthly rent in the sum of $3,750 to Bays on the first day of the month. According to the lawsuit, on March 5, 2024, Bays served Anderson with a notice of default and a demand to quit and surrender premises by hand delivery.

The lawsuit revealed that Anderson had not vacated the premises and that as a result of his breach, the sum of $11,096 was due as of March 1, 2024. On July 31, 2024, the court records show, Will County Judge Rolonda Mitchell dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice against Anderson, noting that the tenant had vacated the property.