Pub Owner Who Dodged $800,000 in Taxes (But Paid $10,000 for Kenny Chesney Tickets) Sentenced to Prison

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A federal judge on Friday sentenced an Olympia-based businessman to eight months in prison for tax avoidance totaling $800,000.

Eric Galanti apparently made a killing on beer and food sales. He owned Alki Crab and Fish and Admiral Pub, both in West Seattle, and Bourbon Jacks in Kent. He also owned a $400,000 yacht, and once spent $10,000 on tickets to see country singer Kenny Chesney, who legally dodges taxes.

Galanti plead guilty in January to four counts of failing to file a federal tax return, a misdemeanor. His sentencing comes less than a week before everyone’s favorite deadline, a fact that IRS officials did not shy away from.

“As we approach tax day, Mr. Galanti’s sentence reminds us of our legal obligation to file complete and accurate tax returns with the IRS,” said IRS agent Charge Darrell Waldon in a statement.

No pressure.

And the IRS might not be the only ones stiffed by Galanti. His business, Admiral Pub, came under fire in 2013 for allegedly failing to pay a Mexican cook $800 of owed wages after the cook was detained by ICE and deported back to his home country. Activists with the Seattle Solidarity Network picketed the pub and flooded the business’ Yelp page with negative reviews. The cook eventually got his money, activists reported.

Pay your taxes. And pay your employees.