Ramzi Suliman, Tax Evasion, Nevada 2013

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The owners of several liquor stores on the Las Vegas Strip have been charged with federal felony tax crimes for failing to report approximately $4 million in income from their stores on their federal individual and corporate tax returns, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

Ramzi Suliman and Jeffrey Nowak, owners of Super Liquor South Strip at 3999 S. Las Vegas Boulevard, Super Liquor Mid Strip at 2301 S. Las Vegas Boulevard, and Super Liquor McCarran Village at 384 E. Tropicana Avenue, are charged in a criminal indictment dated April 10, 2013, with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, three counts of assisting in filing false corporate tax returns, and four counts of attempting to evade and defeat tax.

According to the indictment, from about 2006 to present, Suliman and Nowak allegedly diverted receipts from the stores to their own use by presenting false books and records to the corporate accountant for use in preparing corporate and individual tax returns for the businesses and the defendants.

From about 2006 to 2009, Suliman and Nowak allegedly maintained multiple sets of accounting records for the Super Liquor South Strip store, one which was accurate, and one which was false, and another which compared the two. Suliman and Nowak allegedly skimmed some of the cash they received from the Super Liquor South Strip store and agreed not to report it to the IRS.

The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn C. Newman. If convicted, Suliman and Nowak face up to five years in prison on each of the conspiracy and tax evasion counts and up to three years in prison on each false tax return count, and fines of up to $250,000 on each count.

Todays’ announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.

Suliman and Nowak have been summoned to appear for an initial hearing and arraignment on April 18, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carl W. Hoffman.

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