The owner of two College Point businesses pleaded guilty in court this week to stealing more than $250,000 in sales tax revenue from New York state, it was announced Friday.
Pyong Chon Yim, 56, and his businesses — Advance Auto Sport Corp. and Advance Motor Sport Inc., auto repair shops at 35-50 College Point Blvd. — entered guilty pleas to attempted grand larceny and repeated failure to file taxes.
According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Yim and his businesses failed to remit $251,000 in sales taxes collected from customers. Acting Queens District Attorney John Ryan stated that Yim “will make full restitution.”
“The defendant collected tax dollars and then pocketed the cash. This is wholly unacceptable and not only cheats the local government, but also every other honest taxpayer,” Ryan said.
“Profiting off the backs of honest neighbors is not only bad business, it’s criminal,” added New York State Executive Deputy Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Andrew Morris. “This illegal activity robs local communities of critical funding for public programs and services New Yorkers rely on.”
