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Auto Body Shop and Furniture Business Owners Each Pleaded Guilty to Stealing New York State Taxes After Failing to Report Taxable Sales

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on July 2 that Brian Soltan, 62, of West Islip, owner of several East Islip auto body businesses, and Gerald McCrystal, 51, of Dix Hills, owner of Farmingdale-based furniture stores, were each sentenced after pleading guilty to grand larceny on separate cases for stealing sales tax money from New York State.

“The deliberate theft of tax dollars is a serious offense that undermines the integrity of our tax system and places an unfair burden on law-abiding citizens and businesses. Both defendants collected sales tax from customers, fraudulently underreported taxable sales on dozens of returns, and then failed remit that money to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance,” said District Attorney Tierney. “These cases serve as clear reminders that tax fraud will not be tolerated, and those who attempt to cheat the system will be held accountable for their actions.”

According to Soltan’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, between January 2011 to November 2015, Soltan failed to report approximately $2,817,951 in taxable sales from several businesses he owned in East Islip including Long Island Auto Body, Inc., Long Island Auto Collision, Inc., Long Island Towing & Auto Body, Inc., Long Island Towing & Collision, Inc., East Islip’s Auto Collision, Inc., East Islip Collision, Inc., and High End Collision, Inc., resulting in $244,799 in stolen sales taxes.

According to court documents and McCrystal’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, between February 2008 to November 2015, McCrystal failed to report $8,979,157 in taxable sales from his Farmingdale-based businesses, including Levetz, Inc., Roma Fli Corporation, and Roma New York, Inc., resulting in $744,865 in stolen sales taxes.

Both defendants admitted to intentionally failing to remit funds collected on behalf of New York State.

On September 18, 2019, Soltan pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony before Acting Supreme Court Justice Stephen Braslow. As a condition of his plea, Soltan was required to pay $250,000 in restitution prior to his sentencing on June 26, 2024. He was represented by Robert Macedonio, Esq.

On June 26, 2024, McCrystal pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a Class E felony, before Justice Braslow and was sentenced immediately thereafter. As a condition of his plea, MyCrystal was required to pay $745,000 in restitution. He was represented by Matthew Rosenblum, Esq.

These cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sacks of the Financial Crimes Bureau. The investigation on Soltan’s case was conducted by Senior Detective Investigator George Bean of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance assisted in both cases.