GREENFIELD — The former owner of Goodies Restaurant – who admitted to cheating the federal government of about $220,000 – was sentenced Friday to three months in prison followed by six months in home detention and another six months of supervised release.
He was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Springfield Friday morning after pleading guilty to filing false tax returns.
Ioanis “John” Dimitriou of Montague pleaded guilty in April to five counts of filing false tax returns over the course of five years. He allegedly paid 5 percent of about $232,000 in taxes he owed between 2008 and 2012, systematically deleting records from his computer but keeping two sets of books that depicted the actual sales of the business and the sales disclosed on his tax returns.
U.S. District Court Judge Mark. G. Mastroianni said he received numerous character reference letters from Dimitriou’s family, friends and priest, and found it difficult to sentence him to any prison time at all. He said he scaled back the prosecution’s requested sentence of 12 months followed by a year of supervised release because of Dimitriou’s lack of criminal history and responsibility toward his wife and five children.
“Mr. Dimitriou, I found you to be a hardworking, good man who made a mistake, but that mistake carries consequences,” the judge said.
Dimitriou stood beside his attorney, Robert Jubinville, and showed no visible emotion as the sentence was read. He was ordered to pay $219,900 in restitution and report to prison on Jan. 4. The judge recommended Dimitriou go to a federal prison camp in Devens, but said he would support his spending his time in a local house of correction, noting the decision was up to other federal authorities.
Jubinville told the court that his client came to the United States from Greece penniless, and began working in the food industry, eventually opening his own restaurant in 1997 where he spent 16 to 18 hours each day. He noted Dimitriou’s contributions to the community, including to organizations and program such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the YMCA and Meals on Wheels. Jubinville said his client has sponsored many youth sports teams throughout the years and gave jobs to at-risk youths to help keep them off the streets.
“He’s a self-made man, hardworking, devoted to his family,” Jubinville said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant said Dimitriou’s crimes weren’t committed out of necessity, but rather in an attempt to provide a fairly luxurious lifestyle for his family. He noted that Dimitriou owns a 5,400-square-foot home in Montague and purchased a ski chalet in Vermont for $349,000 in 2010.
The federal government found out about the false tax returns by sending an undercover agent to Goodies, Grant said, but he did not elaborate. He said Dimitriou’s sentence should send a message.
“This sentence is not about rehabilitation. It’s all about deterring others,” he said.
Dimitriou said Friday that he bought the home in Vermont because two of his children are highly involved in winter sports, so it made more sense than waking up at 5 a.m. to drive them to the mountain. He apologized for the crimes, describing how difficult his situation became after expanding his restaurant, only to have customers stop showing up.
“What I did was a big mistake, but I had to take from the right pocket to pay the left pocket,” he said.
He promised to pay $100,000 toward his restitution Friday — part of what he got from a recent sale of the restaurant. Dimitriou said he will work out a payment plan for the rest of the money.
Mastroianni said he has no doubt Dimitriou will pay the full restitution and will not commit a similar crime in the future.
“Quite frankly, the work ethic you’ve shown throughout your life is incredible,” he told Dimitriou, adding the sentence is not meant to destroy Dimitriou’s life but still sends a message and will allow him to work, once out.
You can reach Aviva Luttrell at: aluttrell@recorder.com
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