Department of Revenue News Release

JEFFERSON CITY - The owner of a former Springfield restaurant has pled guilty to violating Missouri tax laws.

Joseph Blasingim of Springfield recently pled guilty in Greene County Circuit Court to two felony charges.  According to the plea agreement filed in the court, the first charge was for failure to pay sales taxes, and the second count was for failure to pay employee state withholding taxes.  The charges were related to payments that were not made during periods between June of 2006 and March of 2009.

Blasingim was an officer in JB Restaurants, LLC - the owner of the former Indigo Joe's Sports Pub & Restaurant.  The restaurant was formerly located at 1440 W. Republic Rd. in Springfield.

Blasingim agreed to make $92,380 in restitution through monthly payments of $1,710 until Oct. 1, 2015.  He was also placed on five years of unsupervised probation.

"The Missouri Department of Revenue works with businesses to collect the taxes that are prescribed by law," said Alana M. Barragán-Scott, director of the Department.  "However, when individuals or businesses consistently refuse to abide by the law, the Department's Criminal Investigation Bureau works with local prosecutors to make sure that the state's tax laws are fully enforced."

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