SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio couple was federally sentenced to prison for failing to report their income to the IRS and scheming to defraud business investors of over a million dollars, according to the Department of Justice.
Court documents said Juan Enrique Kramer, 46, promoted a “turn-key” business to investors for a Mexican chain food restaurant called “Las Quesadillas,” according to court documents.
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Kramer charged investors a fee ranging from $105,000 to $250,000 and promised to perform all tasks necessary for establishing a fully functional restaurant as well as handling all legal fees and incorporation issues.
Both Kramer and his wife, Adriana Pastor, 47, took the funds from at least eight victims and failed to provide any services, said court documents.
The two either used the money for personal gain or provided partial payments to previous customers who demanded their money back, officials said.
Kramer also offered stakes in other businesses as an alternative to repayment. If buyers refused, he threatened to sue them for breach of contract, according to court documents.
Additionally, the two did not declare any investment income to the IRS.
In 2016, Pastor signed a tax return that falsely stated a net income loss. In 2017 and 2018, the couple did not file any tax returns whatsoever, despite still running restaurants and taking in investor money, officials said.
In February, Kramer pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of failure to file an individual tax return. Pastor pled guilty to one count of aiding or assisting in filing a false tax return.
On Tuesday, Kramer was sentenced to three years in prison, forfeiting $59,589 in proceeds, restitution of $1,171,497 payable to the victims of his wire fraud, and restitution of $727,936 to the IRS. Pastor was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and is also liable for the $727,936 to the IRS.
Both Kramer and Pastor were also sentenced to three years of post-release supervision.
Two additional co-defendants who remain are pending sentencing.