A Springfield Gardens man, who owns an Edible Arrangements franchise on Springfield Boulevard, pleaded guilty last week to violations of the state Tax Code for failing to pay more than $185,000 in taxes due to both the city and state, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
Maurice Letman, 42, owns MSM Arrangements, which operates as an EA franchise that sells fruit baskets and bouquets. According to Brown, Letman has pleaded guilty to violations of sections 1804 and 1802 of the state Tax Code, and corporate defendant MSM Arrangements pleaded guilty to a violation of section 1804 of the Tax Code and criminal tax fraud in the third degree.
Letman’s business collected more than $2 million between 2007 and 2011, but failed to pay more than $100,000 in taxes owed. Between 2011 and 2013, MSM made just over $1.2 million, but Letman claimed in required filings to have only taken in about $26,000—cheating the city and state coffers of another $50,000.
Letman has repaid over $90,000, Brown said, and must still pay another $97,537. The total restitution is $188,448. As a condition of the plea agreement, Letman signed an agreement with the state Department of Taxation to pay penalties and interest in excess of $200,000.
The business will receive a conditional discharge. Letman will be sentenced on March 2.
