An Ohio man was sentenced to over seven years in prison today for tax evasion, money laundering, and operating illegal gambling businesses. The sentencing stems from his ownership and operation of multiple illegal gambling establishments and related misconduct.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Steven Saris owned and operated several illegal gambling businesses in Northeast Ohio from 2009 through 2022. These included Café 62, Lucky’s, Winner’s World, Spin City, and another business in Springfield, Ohio. He also had operations in Florida. Saris concealed his involvement by having others serve as nominee owners and by destroying business records.
For the tax year 2015, Saris filed a false tax return that did not report more than $1.4 million in income from his illegal gambling businesses. From 2016 through 2021, he did not file tax returns or pay all the taxes owed despite earning over $9 million during this period. Saris made only two nominal payments to the IRS in 2018 when filing an application for an extension for his 2017 return. He used proceeds from these businesses to gamble millions at legal casinos and to acquire and renovate at least two residential properties located in Canton, Ohio.
Saris’s actions resulted in a tax loss of $2,823,391.
In July 2018, law enforcement executed search warrants at multiple illegal gambling businesses and associated locations in Northeast Ohio. Following these searches, Saris made false statements to law enforcement while continuing his illegal operations without disclosure. In August 2022, law enforcement executed a court-authorized search warrant at Saris’ residence and for his cell phone. Upon learning of the warrant for his cell phone, Saris claimed ignorance of its location; it was later found submerged in a toilet water tank at his residence.
U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent for the Northern District of Ohio sentenced Saris to over seven years in prison and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. He must also pay $2,823,391 in restitution to the United States.
The announcement was made by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation; the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office; the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations; the Ohio Casino Control Commission; and the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission's Major Crimes Task Force.
Trial Attorneys Sam Bean and Hayter Whitman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division along with Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfer prosecuted the case.