Los Angeles, California – IRS – LawFuel – The Legal Newswire – This afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles, the owner of Berri’s Pizza Café, located on West 3rd Street in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to signing false employment tax returns upon which he failed to report at least $185,596 in employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
Appearing before United States District Judge George P. Schiavelli, Raphael Berry, of Los Angeles, entered his guilty plea to charges that he signed false employment tax returns he filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Berry admitted in his plea agreement that he was responsible for collecting and paying to the Internal Revenue Service employment taxes for employees’ of Berri’s Pizza Café. In 2002, 2003, and 2004, Berry knew he was required to include all taxable wages he paid to his employees on federal employment tax returns and correctly report and pay over the related employment taxes due to the Internal Revenue Service.
Berry faces a statutory maximum three years in federal prison and fines totaling $250,000 when sentenced for his crimes. Judge Schiavelli ordered Berry to appear for sentencing on November 19, 2007.
The investigation and prosecution of Berry was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division in Los Angeles in conjunction with the Tax Section of the United States Attorneys Office.
United States Attorney’s Office Contact: Robert Conte
(213) 894-6607
