Mineola Restaurant Owners Failed To Pay Over $330K In Taxes: DA

A former owner and current owner of a Nassau restaurant were charged with allegedly failing to pay more than $330,000 in sales tax to the State Department of Taxation for four years, according to the Nassau District Attorney.

Between 2011 and 2015, Paul Batista, 44, of North Carolina, and Joseph Rosmaninho, 42, of Smithtown, were co-owners of Churrasqueira Brasa Rodizio a Portuguese restaurant on 100 Herricks Road in Mineola, according to the DA.

During that time the two allegedly underreported sales tax collected from customers to the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, the DA said. In addition, PBJ Rodizio Inc., doing business as Churrasqueira Brasa Rodizio, allegedly failed to remit $333,794.89 of collected sales tax, the DA said.

Rosmaninho acquired Batista’s share of the business during the summer of 2016 and is the current owner of the restaurant.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance reviewed the restaurant’s records and began a criminal investigation in October 2015 , the DA said.

The NYS Department of Finance brought the case to the NCDA for prosecution in December 2016.

Batista surrendered to NCDA detective investigators Thursday morning, while Rosmaninho surrendered Wednesday.