South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) agents arrested two businessmen in unrelated cases and charged them with multiple counts of tax evasion.
Rafat A Yed Abudayya, 42, of Lumberton, N.C., owns two convenience stores and a liquor store in Dillon and Marion counties doing business as ILL Corporation. He is charged with three counts of tax evasion. According to arrest warrants, Abudayya evaded paying $123,921 in Sales Tax for all three stores by under-reporting a total of $1,770,314 in taxable sales for tax years 2016 – 2018.
Mohamed Saleh Salah, 42, of Dillon, owns four convenience stores in Dillon and Marion counties, Tall Pines Grocery and Tobacco House Corporation. He is charged with six counts of tax evasion. According to arrest warrants, Salah evaded paying $270,178 in Sales Tax for all four stores by under-reporting a total of $3,859,702 in taxable sales for tax years 2016 – 2018.
If convicted, Abudayya and Salah each face a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000 for each count. They are being held in the Dillon County Detention Center pending bond hearings at press time.
The SCDOR is committed to the fair administration of tax laws. By taking enforcement action against noncompliant taxpayers, the Department seeks to prevent unfairly increasing the tax burden on those who do comply.
If you suspect or know of anyone or a business that has committed a state tax crime, such as tax evasion or tax fraud, contact SCDOR Criminal Investigation and submit a Tax Violation Complaint Form (CID-27) to criminalinvestigation@dor.sc.gov or mail it to SCDOR, CID, PO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214-0930.