Restaurant Owner From Watertown Faces More Fraud Charges

WATERTOWN, MA – The former owner of restaurants in Boston and Chelsea was charged with committing fraud to obtain U.S. citizenship in federal court Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Burhan Ud Din, 49, of Watertown, faces one count of conspiracy, six counts of willful failure to collect and pay over tax, one count of making false statements under oath in a naturalization matter and one count of procurement of naturalization contrary to law.

Din was initially indicted for tax fraud in August 2017; he was charged in a superseding indictment this week that includes the naturalization allegations.

Two other men, Hazrat Khan, 58, of Middletown, NY, and Khurshed Iqbal, 58, both Pakistani nationals, were separately charged in an April 2017 18-count superseding indictment with conspiracy and willful failure to pay over taxes, authorities said. In November 2017, Khan pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Iqbal’s whereabouts are unknown.

Prosecutors say Din, Khan and Iqbal defrauded the government and avoided paying payroll and income taxes owed by Crown Friend Chicken in Chelsea and Kennedy Fried Chicken in Boston, which they owned and operated. The trio allegedly took steps to conceal Khan's ownership interests in one of the stores and Din provided the tax preparer for both stores with false information about payroll and income, which led to the filing of false tax returns.

The superseding indictment adds allegations that Din falsely stated under oath during naturalization proceedings in 2009 that he did not owe any overdue taxes, according to the USAO. If convicted, Din will lose his U.S. citizenship and face additional sentencing.

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