owners of Oriental Forest nailed for tax evasion

[francishsu]

Looks like the three owners of the three Oriental Forest restaurants in the metro area are going to get jail time, probation, and have to pay back up to a million in taxes owed. I haven't been to the Grandville location in quite a while. Are they still open?

Oriental Forest trio charged in sales tax avoidance scheme

The investigation began when a State Police officer noticed cash sales at one of the restaurants were not being processed through the cash register.

Ouch.

Also, it looks like the owners will receive a maximum of 12 months of jail time under the plea agreement, which will allow them to avoid deporation hearings.

Ultimately, it was restitution that was a key element of the plea negotiations.

"That's going to be one of the terms of their probation," Benison said. "If they fail to pay, they could see re-sentencing in their case."

The repayment amount is expected to be between $500,000 and $1 million, and the Michigan Department of Treasury is finalizing those numbers.

This plea agreement is not the last problem facing the trio of defendants. There are also labor and wage violations and possible Internal Revenue Service action for unpaid income tax on the unreported income.