Owner of Lake Norman restaurant charged with tax evasion

The owner of a landmark Lake Norman restaurant was charged with tax evasion on Wednesday.

Peter Gjuraj, owner of the Blue Parrot Grill off N.C. 150 West in Mooresville, is accused of failing to report nearly $3 million in additional gross receipts to the Internal Revenue Service from 2012 through 2014.

As a result, Gjuraj owes an additional $217,000 to the IRS, according to a federal bill of information filed in federal court in Statesville.

Gjuraj is accused of using business funds to purchase, among other items, two houses for $375,000; cars worth about $80,000; and other personal expenditures, including travel and home improvements, according to the bill of information.

As a result of the unreported gross receipts, Gjuraj hid “a large part of the gross receipts of Blue Parrot from his tax return preparer,” the bill of information says.

Because of the unreported receipts, he “fraudulently claimed various credits against taxes,” according to the federal document.

Gjuraj is accused of structuring cash withdrawals to avoid filing currency transaction reports. For example, between July 8, 2013, and Sept. 27, 2013, he made about 15 withdrawals from a bank account totaling about $142,000, prosecutors said.

Gjuraj’s expenditures for 2012 through 2014 “were far in excess of his reported income,” according to the bill of information.

Prosecutors file bills of information instead of seeking an indictment. Bills of information are typically filed when a plea agreement has been reached or is in the works.

Gjuraj and his lawyer, Eben Rawls of Charlotte, did not return calls from the Observer requesting comment.

The Blue Parrot Grill was established in 2010 as a family-friendly place where you can also take your dog, according to the restaurant’s website.

This story was originally published May 31, 2017 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Owner of Lake Norman restaurant charged with tax evasion."