Waltham Store Owner Failed To Pay $500K In Tobacco Excise Tax: DA

WALTHAM, MA — A Waltham convenience store owner pled guilty to tax evasion after failing to pay $500,000 in tobacco excise tax over a three-year period, the Middlesex District Attorney announced.

Javed Iqbal Shaikh, 46, of Waltham, has pleaded guilty to six counts of tax evasion in connection with excise tax violations while he was the owner of Cronin’s Market, located in Waltham.

In the years 2018, 2019, and 2020, Shaikh purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars in untaxed “other tobacco products”, including smokeless tobacco, cigars, and smoking tobacco, from a company located outside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the DA's Office said.

Shaikh didn't collect Massachusetts excise taxes on these purchases, which caused him to be responsible for paying such taxes on the products.

"Over the three years Mr. Shaikh made many purchases and did not pay any excise tax on the products. Based on information compiled from invoices, bank records, and delivery records, Javed Iqbal Shaikh failed to pay over $550,000 in tobacco excise tax," according to the DA's Office.

Shaikh was sentenced to one year in the house of corrections, six months to serve, a balance suspended for five years on the first four counts and five years probation on the two additional counts.