3 people charged in $4 million sales tax evasion case involving area gas stations

PEORIA (25News Now) - A Peoria County Grand Jury on Tuesday indicted three people on multiple felony charges for allegedly defrauding Illinois’ government of more than $1 million in sales tax revenue they collected from their customers at local gas stations over a 3 1/2-year period.

The charges allege Roger Multani of Peoria, Jitender Singh and Surinder Pal Singh of Indianapolis, Indiana underestimated the amount of sales tax money they collected at gas station/convenience stores from January 1, 2019 to July 20, 2022.

It was not clear on Tuesday night whether the indictments are connected to police activity seen on August 3, 2022 at four Peoria area gas stations.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul though says the men own and operate a dozen gas stations in central and southern Illinois.

The men were charged by Raoul’s office Wednesday for allegedly underreporting more than $50 million in sales from the same time period - producing more than $4 million in tax liability.

Multani and Jitender Singh face 22 counts in all, including theft of property over $1 million. They also face 11 counts of theft of government property over $100,000 and nine counts sales tax evasion. Twelve of the counts carry mandatory prison sentences if they’re convicted.

All three defendants are also charged with wire fraud, and Surinder Pal Singh faces six sales tax evasion charges.

The indictments list eight “retail establishments” that allegedly did not pay proper sales tax amounts. They are Kamla Kaur Gas Station Inc, Kamla Kaur Group Inc., Kamla Kaur Petroleum Inc. (Knoxville), Kamla Kaur Petroleum Inc. (Sterling), Kamla Kaur Enterprises Inc., Kamla Kaur Convenience Inc., Kamla Kaur Management Inc., and RSM Management.

The indictments say the prosecutor is Mansoor Broachwala, who is listed online as an assistant Illinois Attorney General.

Court documents say the three defendants are scheduled to appear for an arraignment on October 26.

Raoul’s office says the men underreported from the following gas stations they own and operate:

• Kamla Kaur Gas Stations, 1100 N. Main St., Peoria
• Kamla Kaur Group, 9109 N. Allen St., Peoria
• Kamla Kaur Petroleum, 4310 N. Knoxville Ave and 4709 N. Sterling Ave., Peoria
• Kamla Kaur Enterprises, 3903 Baring Trace, Peoria
• Kamla Kaur Convenience, 1108 W. Main St., Peoria
• Kamla Kaur Management, 1900 N. Knoxville Ave., Peoria
• RSM Management, 710 W. Detweiller Dr., Peoria
• KKG5, 337 State Highway 32, Stewardson and 1500 Church St., Xenia, Illinois
• KKG4, 614 S. Commercial St., Harrisburg and 1117 E., Metropolis, Illinois
• KKG 2, 500 S. Broadway Ave., Salem, Illinois
• KKG 1, 113 W Green St. Centralia and 5728 State Route 154, Pickneyville
• SPM Group, 46th N. Fourth St., Albion and 107 N. Main St., Wayne City, Illinois

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