Suburban gas station owners charged with tax fraud

Three suburban gas station owners were among four men charged with tax fraud after authorities say they underreported gas sales and defrauded the state of more than $1 million in sales taxes.

Three suburban gas station owners were among four men charged today with tax fraud after authorities say they underreported gasoline sales and defrauded the state of more than $1 million in sales taxes.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the Illinois Department of Revenue announced charges against:

• Nawaz Mirza, 58, of Lombard, owner of Mirza Enterprises, 523 W. North Ave., in Villa Park, was charged in DuPage County with two counts of mail fraud and 18 counts of filing a fraudulent state tax return. He is accused of evading more than $90,000 in taxes between January 2009 and December 2011

• Gurmeet Bhola, 56, of Lincolnwood, owner of Bhola Gas & Food, 2393 E. Lincoln Highway, in Sauk Village, was charged in Cook County with two counts of mail fraud and 31 counts of filing a fraudulent state tax return. He is accused of scheming to defraud the state out of more than $500,000 in taxes between January 2007 and July 2012

• Samson Kadamandla, 54, of Chicago, owner of NRK Inc., 3901 W. 63rd St. in Chicago, was charged in Cook County with two counts of mail fraud and 29 counts of filing a fraudulent state tax return. He is accused of for evading more than $300,000 in taxes between January 2008 and May 2012

• Anthony Wabeh, 53, of Skokie, owner of TWI Petro Group's Gas & Go Mart, 9245 Kilpatrick Ave., Skokie, charged in Cook County with one count of mail fraud and five counts of filing a fraudulent state tax return. He is accused of evading more than $180,000 in taxes between June 2008 and February 2011.

The charges are all Class 3 felonies, punishable by two to five years in prison.

The men are free on bond. Their next court date was not immediately available.

The charges are part of a crackdown on nearly $85 million owed to Illinois from gas station operators accused of evading sales tax payments.

"The defendants have illegally profited at the expense of the state and Illinois taxpayers," Madigan said in a statement.