Two Tinley Liquor Store Owners Busted In Sales Tax Crack Down

TINLEY PARK, IL — Two Tinley Park liquor store operators were caught up in a state crack down of businesses bringing untaxed or bootlegged liquor into Illinois. Ashwinkumar Patel, 45,and Sanjaykumar K. Soni, 50, were among five Chicago-area liquor store operators who were charged last week as part of the state's efforts to reign in sales tax evasion and interstate liquor bootlegging, according to a statement from Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office.

Four of the store operators were charged in Cook County Circuit Court with sales tax evasion of more than $100,000, a Class 1 felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Two of them also were charged with sales tax evasion of more than $10,000, a Class 2 felony punishable by up 7 years in prison. One defendant was charged with sales tax evasion of more than $500.

“This should send a message that doing business in Illinois means following the state’s laws without exception," Raoul said in a statement.

Those who were charged are:

• Diptiben Patel, 38, of Munster, Ind.: Patson Liquor, Inc. (doing business as Buddy’s Liquors/Cardinal Liquor)
• Ashwinkumar Patel, 45, of Tinley Park, Ill.: AM Wine and Spirits (doing business as Marshfield Wine and Spirits)
• Sanjaykumar K. Soni, 50, of Tinley Park, Ill.: KVS Calumet City Liquor Business, Inc. (doing business as Miska’s Food and Liquor)
• Rajendrakumar P.Patel, 51, of Worth, Ill.: KVS Calumet City Liquor Business, Inc. (doing business as Miska’s Food and Liquor)
• Ajaykumar C. Patel, 51, of Morton Grove, Ill.: Dabaang, Inc (doing business as Harper Food and Liquor).

In 2015, a similar sweep led to charges against nine liquor store owners. That was the first time anyone had been charged under the 2013 law that created the crime of sales tax evasion and imposed stronger, graduated penalties based on the amount of sales taxes evaded, officials said.

The Illinois Department of Revenue and Secret Service assisted the attorney general's office with the effort.