Jewelers Indicted for Sales Tax Violations in “Operation Bracelet”

Three jewelry stores and their presidents as well as three other jewelry stores in Brooklyn, New York, have been indicted for sales tax violations as part of “Operation Bracelet,” a join investigation between the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

These six cases were the first to arise from an undercover investigation in which Kings County District Attorney Investigators and Tax Department Investigators, acting as prospective customers, negotiated the purchase price of jewelry at 27 Brooklyn stores.

At 17 of the stores visited, investigators were told that the store would not charge them the required sales tax if they paid for the items with cash instead of credit cards.

The stores drastically underreported their taxable sales. The jewelers face numerous criminal charges. The investigation continues and more arrests are likely.

Follow this link for a press release on the Kings County District Attorney’s Office website:  http://www.brooklynda.org/press_releases/pr_jun_09.htm#01