HOLLIS – Two members of a family from Suffolk County, who operated two used car dealerships in Hollis, were charged with bilking the state out of $500,000 in sales tax by allegedly under reporting sales and neglecting to turn over to the state funds collected as sales tax, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
The indictment named the defendants as Yunas Khan, 52, and his son Tabraiz Khan, 27, both of Melville.
“Sales taxes are meant for the public treasury – not the pockets of businessmen. By purposefully defrauding New York government of such a significant sum of revenue, money that could have been used for any number of valuable public purposes, the defendants are alleged to have made every New Yorker a victim,” Brown said. “Criminal activity that cheats the government and the public will not be tolerated and will be vigorously pursued and prosecuted.”
Yunas Khan was charged with four counts of second-degree grand larceny, two counts of second-degree criminal tax fraud, 26 counts of first-degree falsifying business records, 26 counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, one count of first-degree scheme to defraud and one count of second-degree scheme to defraud, according to the DA. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
His corporation, Horse Power Auto Sales Inc., was charged with the same counts in a separate complaint. In the case of a corporation, a felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or double the amount of the illegal gain.
Tabraiz Khan was charged with one count of second-degree grand larceny, two counts of third-degree grand larceny, two counts of third-degree criminal tax fraud, four counts of first-degree falsifying business records, four counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, one count of first-degree scheme to defraud, one count of second-degree scheme to defraud. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
His corporation, Car Palace Inc., wass charged with the same counts in a separate complaint.
