A former owner of a New Hyde Park auto body shop found guilty of tax fraud was sentenced this week to a conditional discharge and ordered to pay full-restitutions, the state Department of Taxation and Finance announced Monday.
Authorities say the former New Hyde Park Body Works owner Gerald Losquadro, 62, of Garden City collected more than $27,000 in sales tax between September 2009 and December 2010 that he failed to pay to the state.
He faced charges grand larceny in the third degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and criminal tax fraud in the third and fourth degrees, according to the tax and finance department.
Charles DiMarino, of East Norwich, who owned New Hyde Park Body Works after Losquadro, was arrested on the same day last year. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for sales tax violations and paid the state a sales tax liability of $122,348, authorities said.
The auto-body shop also pleaded guilty to two tax-law misdemeanors.
“Sales taxes paid by Nassau County residents should be going to Nassau County to fund vital government services,” acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said. “Mr. Losquadro and Mr. DiMartino stole money, not just from their own customers, but from the county and the state when they repeatedly failed to remit the sales tax money they collected. My office will continue to work with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance to hold lawbreakers accountable and get full restitution on behalf of taxpayers.”
The tax department’s criminal investigations division investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the district attorney’s office, the tax department said.
Businesses in the state collect almost $25 billion in sales tax from customers each year, according to the tax department.
“We will continue to work closely with our local law enforcement partners to create a level playing field for honest business owners and to protect New Yorkers from paying the cost of tax evasion,” acting Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Kenneth Adams said.
