In September 2014, the owner of a famous barbecue restaurant in the Fort Pierce, Florida area was charged with tax fraud. In addition, according to the Florida Department of Revenue, he was charged with taking as much as $54,000 in state sales taxes.
Barrachel Tillman, the 42 year old owner of the Tillman’s Famous Barbecue restaurant in Fort Pierce, was arrested at approximately 4:00 PM on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 in St. Lucie County. The charges against him alledge that he failed to pay his state taxes between May 2012 and December 2013. The restaurant, which is family owned and operated, is located at 2331 U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida.
According to state law, sales taxes become state property the moment they are collected. Tillman’s restaurant resides at the 4300 block of Avenue Q. If the restaurant owner is convicted of tax fraud, he can face a sentence of up to 15 years in jail, be forced to pay a fine of $10,000 and pay back the taxes, according to the Florida Department of Revenue in their statement.
Currently, Tillman is out of jail on a $25,000 bond. It is unknown whether his restaurant is operating and open for business at this time.
The investigations office in Fort Pierce of the Department of Revenue did not comment other than to confirm what it stated in its prepared statement.
Being accused of tax fraud or any other type of fraud is a very serious offense. While it is a white collar crime, you will still need a highly skilled Fort Pierce organized fraud attorney if you are arrested on such charges in the St. Lucie County area of Florida. Fraud falls under the “other criminal charges” category of law. It is a charge that requires a savvy Board Certified criminal trial law specialist. Jonathan Jay Kirschner and his team of attorneys are highly qualified in the area of fraud and additional “other criminal charges” defense. Contact the Jonathan Jay Kirschner, Esq. and Associates, LLC law firm at your earliest convenience if you require immediate legal representation.
