Roxborough Pizzeria Owner​ Guilty In Tax Fraud Case: Feds

ROXBOROUGH, PHILADELPHIA – The owner of Pizzeria DiMeo in Roxborough pleaded guilty to counts of tax fraud Thursday, Sept. 14 after being accused of skimming cash from three other restaurants he owns, federal officials said.

Giuseppe "Pino" DiMeo, 49, of Eagleville, changed his initial not guilty plea to guilty on two counts of conspiring to defraud the IRS and nine counts of filing false tax returns, according to Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

All together, the government determined and alleges that DiMeo failed to report approximately $2 million in income to the IRS, Lappen's office said.

DiMeo’s cash skimming and paying employees under the table occurred at Pizzeria DiMeo’s in Roxborough, DiMeo’s Pizza in Lafayette Hill (which is now closed), and DiMeo’s Pizzaiuoli Napulitani in Wilmington, Delaware, between 2008 and 2012, according to Lappen's.

DiMeo admitted prosecutors that he conspired with his business partners at restaurants in Wilmington, Delaware and in the Philadelphia area to defraud the IRS of income taxes and payroll taxes, Lappen's office said.

DiMeo skimmed cash from the three restaurants mentioned above and failed to report the cash income to the IRS, according to Lappen's office.

DiMeo also paid many of his employees in cash under the table and failed to inform his accountant or the IRS about his businesses’ cash payroll, Lappen's office said.

With the guilty pleas, DiMeo faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 37 years, three years of supervised release, a $2.75 million fine, and a $1,100 special assessment, according to Lappen's office.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carrillo and Tiwana L. Wright.

Image via Shutterstock