The owner of several Mexican restaurants in Missouri and the manager of another one are headed to federal prison.
Ismael Onate, 47, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was the president of four Missouri corporations which operated El Vaquero Mexican restaurants in Kirksville, Moberly, Hannibal, Warrensburg, Wentzville and Mexico, Missouri.
Onate entered a guilty plea to conspiring to under-report income from the restaurants to avoid paying federal taxes.
He was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison.
Meanwhile Javier Posada, 44, the manager of the Warrensburg location, also pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy.
Posada was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The men admitted to removing cash and instructing others to remove cash from the cash registers and destroy guest tickets at the restaurants.
In addition to the prison sentences, the two were ordered to pay nearly $400,000 in restitution to the IRS.
A third person, who managed the Mexico, Missouri, restaurant has also pleaded guilty, he has not yet been sentenced.
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