Ft. Myers Convenience Store Owner Arrested For Fallure to Pay Over Fla. Sales Tax

Munaf M. Rashid, the owner of Snack Shack Food Mart, located in Ft. Myers, has been arrested on charges that he stole more than $8,000 in sales tax he collected from customers, but failed to send in to the state, the Florida Department of Revenue announced.

Mr. Rashid, 47, who lives in Cape Coral, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff's Department on July 31, 2012 on a felony charge relating to theft of state funds. If convicted, he faces up to 5 years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines, as well as possible repayment of stolen tax, interest, penalty and investigative costs. Mr. Rashid's convenience store is located at 8671 Littleton Road in North Fort Myers.

According to Revenue Department investigators, Mr. Rashid collected tax from customers at his store. However, during various periods in 2011, he failed to send in to the state all of the sales taxes that he had collected. Under state law, sales tax is the property of the state at the moment of collection.

“It is an honor to serve the vast majority of Florida businesses who comply with State tax requirements,” said Marshall Stranburg, Interim Executive Director, Florida Department of Revenue. “For those that don't, it is our job to enforce the law and ensure honest businesses are not placed at a competitive disadvantage by those who ignore the law or intentionally collect and steal taxpayer dollars.”