Ray & Mike’s owner pleads guilty to tax evasion

Photo+courtesy%3A+Hamden+Patch

Photo courtesy: Hamden Patch

Brooke Reilly

The owner of a local Hamden deli and Quinnipiac hotspot has pleaded guilty to tax evasion, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.

Raymond George, 52, of Hamden owns Ray & Mike’s, which is located at 3030 Whitney Ave.

George “underreported his income by approximately $365,065 for the 2012 tax year and by $273,108 for the 2013 tax year, and failed to pay a total of approximately $220,000 in taxes,” a release said.

According to officials, he avoided paying his income taxes in 2012 and 2013 in several ways. He did not deposit all cash receipts into his business bank account, and he used some of the cash to fill an ATM located in the store without reporting the cash income.

George deposited three large checks with a total of approximately $300,000 into his personal investment account from the Ray & Mike’s business account. He did not report this money as income and then used it to buy personal investment properties. He deposited a check for $25,800 from the Ray & Mike’s lottery account into his personal investment account without reporting these funds as income as well.

George faces a possible fine of up to $440,000 and up to five years in prison. He has agreed to pay back $220,663 of taxes as well as interest and penalties.