DeWitt County Convenience Store Owner Charged with Sales Tax Fraud

By Frank Conklin, The Chicago Times

March 25, 2023

CLINTON, IL – An owner and operator of four DeWitt County convenience stores has been charged with sales tax fraud by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

According to Raoul’s office, 38-year-old Surjit Singh, of Clinton, Illinois, allegedly defrauded the state out of more than $100,000 in sales tax revenue.  Singh has been charged with two felony counts of theft of government property which is punishable by six to thirty years in prison; four felony counts of sales tax evasion punishable by three to seven years in prison; nine felony counts of filing fraudulent sales tax returns punishable by two to five years in prison; and one felony count of forgery punishable by two to five years in prison. 

“Individuals who steal from the state take away resources that are needed to fund the vital programs and services Illinoisans rely upon every day,” Raoul said in a press release.

According to Raoul’s office, Singh is the owner of four Central Illinois convenience stores: Pari Foods Inc. in Clinton, Lake Shore Stop LLC in Decatur, Chandlerville Food Inc. in Chandlerville, and Seeret Ayzel Inc. in Winchester.  Raoul alleges that Singh failed to remit sales tax money collected from customers to the state of Illinois and to have under reported sales to the Illinois.

Frank Conklin, Illinois Political Columnist for The Chicago Times.  Views and comments expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Chicago Times.