Late BK Diner Owner Pocketed Taxes, Whistleblower Reveals To AG

BROOKLYN, NY — A Brooklyn diner owner's estate will pay a hefty fee for his fraud scheme outed by a local whistleblower, authorities said.

The estate of Dimitrios Kaloidis, the late owner of Bridgeview Diner on 3rd Ave between 90th and 91st Street, paid up a whopping $1.18 million in owed taxes and penalties, according to Attorney General Letitia James' office.

And the estate also coughed up $356,913 to the whistleblower who blew Kaloidis' cover, James said.

“By pocketing these tax dollars, the former owner of these diners violated New Yorkers' trust and deprived our state of essential resources," James said. "These recovered funds will now go to invest in our state, and hopefully this settlement sends a clear message that my office will hold tax cheats accountable.”

Kaloidis owned Bridgeview and Georgia Diner in Queens until he died in 2019 — by which point he had failed to report over $650,000 in cash receipts, James said.

Investigators accuse Kaloidis of keeping two sets of transactional books — one for morning transactions, which went to the state, and one for afternoon cash transactions, all either pocketed or used for other business expenses, James said.

"When New Yorkers pay taxes, they should feel confident that those funds will help support our state's investments in education, health care, transportation, and services all residents rely on,” said Attorney General James.