Apple Valley Woman Charged With 6 Tax Crimes

APPLE VALLEY, MN — An Apple Valley woman was charged with three felony counts of knowingly aiding in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return and three felony counts of willfully underpaying sales tax, according to a news release from the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

If found guilty, Rong Qiao Zheng could face up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine per tax related felony charge, officials said.

Zheng is the owner of Super World Buffet in Apple Valley and underreported taxable cash transactions made at the restaurant, according to the criminal complaint filed against her by the Dakota County Attorney's Office. Zheng gave the fraudulent numbers to her accountant who used the information to file sales tax and use tax returns for the restaurant between 2017 and 2019, officials said.

According to the complaint, Zheng owes over $138,000 in sales and use tax, penalties and interest.