Rutherford County Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Sales Tax Evasion

Nashville, Tenn. - Muuad A. Nasser, 35, owner of Tony's Market and Jimmy's Tobacco located in LaVergne, Tenn., pled guilty to sales tax evasion in Rutherford County Criminal Court on Thursday.

The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to Nasser's plea.

On November 5, the Rutherford County Grand Jury indicted Nasser on one Class E felony count of sales tax evasion and one Class C felony count of theft of property over $10,000. The indictments charge Nasser with willfully attempting to evade sales tax totaling $47,966.58 from October 2011 through September 2012.

Judge David Bragg accepted Nasser's guilty plea and sentenced him to serve two years in jail. The sentence was suspended, and he was placed on two years of supervised probation. Nasser was also ordered to pay the state restitution of $47,966.58.

"When sales tax is collected from the public and not remitted, it is a breach of the public trust and a crime," said Revenue Commissioner Richard H. Roberts. "The Department of Revenue will aggressively pursue criminal sanctions and demands accountability for such actions."

The Department of Revenue pursued the criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney General William Whitesell's office. Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee's revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of the state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2013 fiscal year, it collected $11.7 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $2.2 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the department, log on to www.TN.gov/revenue.

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