PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The former owner of a Philadelphia pizza shop pleaded guilty to tax evasion on Tuesday, according to federal prosecutors.
Officials said Cihan Calkap, 42, of Drexel Hill avoided paying taxes while operating Mimmo's Pizza and Kitchen along the 3000 block of West Allegheny Avenue between 2015 and 2019.
During that time, prosecutors said Calkap took cash from the business to pay himself and finance an off-the-books payroll for about two dozen employees.
Authorities said Calkap gave his accountant incomplete information about the restaurant's income and expenses. He only provided access to the shop's bank records, even though those records didn't include all of the cash income.
In addition to under-reporting Mimmo's total receipts, Calkap falsely reported having four employees about 20 fewer than the actual number.
Calkap is due for sentencing on May 14, and he faces up to five years in prison.