Maple Grove-Area Couple Face Restaurant Tax Fraud Charges

MAPLE GROVE, MN — A married couple from the Maple Grove area is accused of committing tax fraud while secretly owning two restaurants in Hennepin County.

Ting Gui Zheng, of Maple Grove, and Sufeng Zheng, of Plymouth, each face 26 felony counts of aiding or assisting in the filing of false or fraudulent sales tax returns and one count of theft by swindle.

Ming Zhu, of Blaine, was charged with eight felony counts of aiding or assisting in the filing of false or fraudulent sales tax returns and one count of theft by swindle.

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Prosecutors said the Zhengs were de facto or “ghost owners” of Teppanyaki Grill & Supreme Buffet locations in Minneapolis in Fridley, while Zhu was the listed owner of the Fridley location.

The Zhengs used various business entities to hide their ownership of the two restaurants, and — with help from Zhu — used computer software to “suppress sales” and underreport their taxable earnings from May 2016 to October 2018, prosecutors said.

Officers found records related to the Zhengs’ ownership of the restaurants while searching their home, as well as screenshots and instructions for how to use the sales-suppression software, according to a criminal complaint filed against them.

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Analysts from the Minnesota Department of Revenue said the Zhengs avoided paying more than $810,000 in sales taxes from the two restaurants.

The four businesses that officially owned the two Teppanyaki locations during that period also face a slew of felony charges for tax-related crimes, according to the complaint.

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