HOUSTON-AREA TAQUERIA ARANDAS RESTAURANT OWNERS CHARGED WITH FILING FALSE TAX RETURNS

(HOUSTON, Texas) – Eight Taqueria Arandas owners have been charged with filing false federal income tax returns that deprived the National Treasury of more than $4 million dollars in income and employment taxes, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today. Those charged include Pedro M. Villapando, Carlos Garcia, Chris Anthony Renaud, Francisco Javier Camarena, Guillermo Camarena, Rodolfo Camarena, Pablo Garza and Ramiro Camarena, all of Houston.

Villapando, who owned and operated Taqueria Arandas restaurants located at 1826 North Gessner and 364 Uvalde Road in Houston, Texas, was arrested on Thurs., Sept. 4. The indictment returned by a Houston grand jury under seal on Aug. 27, 2008 and unsealed following Villapando’s arrest and appearance before U. S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Wm. Smith last week, charged Villapando with filing 11 false federal income tax returns for these restaurants for tax years 2001 through 2006 that understated sales by $8,322,783 to avoid paying income taxes of $1,797,200. He is also accused of failing to pay $866,838 in employment taxes. Villapando has been ordered detained pending trial before United States District Lee H. Rosenthal. Each of the 11 counts carries a maximum of 3 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine upon conviction.

Seven other defendants, Carlos Garcia, Chris Anthony Renaud, Francisco Javier Camarena, Guillermo Camarena, Rodolfo Camarena, Pablo Garza and Ramiro Camarena, are charged separately by federal criminal Information filed with the court with one count each of filing a false federal income tax return for their respective Taqueria Arandas restaurants. The court will issue orders summoning the defendants to appear for arraignment on a date to be set in the near future. If convicted, each faces a maximum of three years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

Garcia owned and operated a Taqueria Arandas restaurant at 10403-A Gulf Freeway in Houston, Texas, during 2001. He is charged with filing a false federal income tax return for the restaurant for that year which understated sales by $949,302 to avoid paying taxes of $322,877.

Francisco Camarena owned and operated Taqueria Arandas restaurants located at 2701 Mangum and 13703 Hwy 249 in Houston, Texas, during 2001. He is charged with filing a false federal income tax return for one of the restaurants for 2001 which understated sales by $873,174 to avoid paying taxes of $292,033.

Guillermo Camarena owned and operated a Taqueria Arandas restaurant located at 6503 Airline Road in Houston, Texas, during 2001. He is charged with filing a false federal income tax return for the restaurant for that year which understated sales by approximately $817,391 and income taxes due by about $289,012.

Rodolfo Camarena owned and operated a Taqueria Arandas restaurant located on the North Freeway in Houston, Texas, during 2001. He is charged with filing a false federal income tax return for the restaurant for 2001 which understated sales by $715,918 to avoid paying taxes of $203,322.

Garza owned and operated a Taqueria Arandas restaurant located at 5931 Gulf Freeway in Houston, Texas, from 2001 through 2006. The criminal information alleges that between 2001 and 2006, Garza filed 22 false employment tax returns resulting in the underpayment of approximately $182,861 in federal employment taxes.

Renaud owned and operated a Taqueria Arandas restaurant at 4609 Irvington Boulevard in Houston, Texas, during 2001. He is charged with filing a false federal income tax return for the restaurant for that year which understated sales by $381,740 to avoid paying taxes of $130,503.

Ramiro Camarena owned and operated a Taqueria Arandas restaurant located at 1629 South Richey in Pasadena, Texas, during 2000. He is charged with filing four false federal income tax returns the restaurant for that year which substantially understated gross receipts to avoid paying taxes of $126,174.

The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by special agents of the Houston Office of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jimmy Sledge Jr.

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http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txs/releases/ ... randas.htm