Park Hills Restaurant Owner Charged for Not Paying Sales Tax to State

(PARK HILLS) - A Park Hills restaurant owner has been charged with 10 counts of failing to pay his business’ sales taxes due in 2016 and 2017.

43-year-old Brandon Hardin, of Park Hills, is the former owner of The Coffee Grill, LLC which was once located in Park Hills, at the former Rosener's Restaurant location, and is also the current owner of Riverside Grill also in Park Hills.  Harden has been charged with 10 counts of the unclassified felony intent to defraud, willfully failed to make a sales tax return/pay sales tax/keep records/supply information to the Missouri Department of Revenue. A criminal summons has been issued to Hardin.

According to a probable cause statement from the Missouri Department of Revenue Criminal Tax Investigation Bureau, from Nov. 30, 2016, until Jan. 31, 2017, Hardin was the owner of The Coffee Grill, LLC and during that time Hardin failed to file a sales tax return for three monthly periods during this time.  The report also states that Hardin failed to pay state sales tax due for 10 consecutive periods ending April 30, 2016 through Jan. 31, 2017.

Hardin allegedly admitted during the interview that he was aware of the tax delinquencies and said it was his fault. Hardin has not attempted to pay any of the sales tax due to the state of Missouri since May of 2016.

The court document states the state of Missouri has incurred a loss of over $116,000 including sales tax records, interest, and fraud penalties.