Cincinnati, Ohio – A Cincinnati restaurant owner has been found guilty of federal tax crimes, following a trial that began on Sept. 16 in front of U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. The defendant, Richard Bhoolai, 65, owned and operated Richie’s Fast Food Restaurants, Inc.
Bhoolai was convicted for failing to pay over payroll taxes to the IRS in 2017 and 2018. According to court testimony and documents, Bhoolai employed between 22 and 34 employees during that time. He withheld federal taxes from employees’ paychecks but failed to transfer the funds to the IRS as required. Instead, he used the money for personal expenditures, including more than $1 million in gambling activities.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that Bhoolai was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023 on eight counts of willfully failing to pay over employment taxes, a crime that carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison.
Sentencing will be determined by the court at a future hearing, with the sentence based on statutory factors and sentencing guidelines.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Alexandra Fleszar. U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, along with IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, announced the guilty verdict.
