A state effort cracking-down on gas station operators for tax fraud has netted charges for a Peoria man.
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office and Department of Revenue say 33-year old Prakashbhai Patel is charged with 24 counts of filing fraudulent sales tax returns, as well as mail, wire, and computer fraud.
Patel operates a Marathon gas station on North Knoxville Road and a Clark station on North Sheridan. Madigan says Patel allegedly underreported sales at the two stations from January 2008 to July 2011 to avoid paying more than 420-thousand dollars in taxes to the state.
Patel was released on 600-thousand dollar bond. He has a status hearing at the Peoria County Courthouse August 8th.