Peter Gjuraj, Tax Evasion, North Carolina 2023

Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion in North Carolina

Peter Gjuraj, 49, of Mooresville, N.C., pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion in federal court, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Gjuraj, the owner and operator of Blue Parrot restaurant on Lake Norman, N.C., admitted to hiding income from his business and failing to report it on his individual income tax returns. According to court documents, Blue Parrot earned approximately $2,793,873 in unreported gross receipts between 2012 and 2014.

As a result of the unreported income, Gjuraj had additional taxable income of $319,974.92, with an additional federal tax due of $59,576.96, $96,866.96, and $163,531.00 for the years 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively.

Gjuraj also fraudulently claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for the years 2012 and 2013, and structured cash withdrawals to avoid filing currency transaction reports. He also used business funds to purchase two houses, cars worth approximately $80,000, and made additional personal expenditures, including travel and home improvements.

As part of his plea agreement, Gjuraj has agreed to pay restitution of $536,989.97 to the IRS. The tax evasion charge carries a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine.

The investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny G. Sugar is prosecuting the case. Gjuraj was released on bond after his plea hearing, and a sentencing date has not been set.

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