Owner of famed NYC bagel biz hit with unemployment tax cheating charges
By APWednesday, November 18, 2009
Owner of famed NYC bagel biz hit with tax charges
NEW YORK — Prosecutors say the owner of a storied New York City bagel business shortchanged the state out of a lot of dough by cheating on taxes.
Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said Wednesday that H&H Bagels owner Helmer Toro pocketed more than $369,000 in income and other taxes withheld from employees’ paychecks and set up shell companies to game the unemployment insurance tax system out of another $33,000. Toro was released from custody after pleading not guilty to charges including grand larceny. His lawyer didn’t immediately return a telephone call.
The business bills itself as the world’s biggest bagel manufacturer. H&H has been featured in TV’s “Seinfeld” and the 1998 movie “You’ve Got Mail,” not to mention countless food guides and best-of lists.
