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 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, 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.

Batista was arraigned on Thursday before District Court Judge Scott Siller, released on his own recognizance and ordered to surrender his passport.

He is due back in court on June 8.

Rosmaninho was arraigned Wednesday before Siller, released on his own recognizance and ordered to surrender his passport. He is due back in court on June 7.

Both men have been charged with second-degree grand larceny, three counts of second-degree criminal tax fraud, as well as third- and fifth-degree criminal tax fraud, the DA said.

If convicted on the top count, the two face a maximum of 15 years’ incarceration.

Pictured from left to right: Rosmaninho and Batista. Photo courtesy of the NCDA.