Soupman CFO guilty of $600K tax evasion
Now he’s hoping the judge says, “No jail for you.”
see also 'Soup Nazi' exec arrested for tax evasion No tax for you! The chief financial officer for the...
The chief financial officer of Soupman Inc., a Staten Island-based chain made famous by “Seinfeld,” pleaded guilty on Monday to a nearly $600,000 tax-evasion scheme.
“I failed to collect and account for and pay for taxes,” Robert Bertrand, 63, admitted in Brooklyn federal court, laughing nervously.
The CFO was busted last May for depriving the United States of $593,971.52 in Medicare, Social Security and federal income-tax payments by failing to report cash earnings or the fact that Soupman employees were compensated with stock awards.
Bertrand appeared on edge as he pleaded guilty to one count of a 20-count indictment and waived his right to appeal.
When Judge Pamela Chen asked if he’d consumed alcohol the day before, he responded, “Yes,” but only “glasses of wine yesterday, not last night.”
Bertrand agreed to pay $78,518.18 in restitution — the amount he personally benefited from, federal prosecutors said.
They recommended he be sentenced to 24 to 33 months behind bars — but that won’t be determined until April 12, 2018, when he’s due back in court.
Bertrand, who lives in Norwalk, Conn., had previously pleaded not guilty to all counts, but reached a deal in November.
He was accused of not collecting taxes on more than $2.8 million in cash and stock compensation between 2010 to 2014.
“The United States was fleeced out of more than half a million dollars through the defendant’s corporate misdeeds,” Bridget Rohde, acting US Attorney for the Eastern District, said in a statement at the time.
“Tax crimes like those alleged in the indictment hurt every American citizen.”
Bertrand has worked for Soupman — which was first named Soup Kitchen — since 2004.
The chain of soup shops became famous in 1995 when the “Soup Nazi” episode of “Seinfeld” aired, creating the catch phrase, “No Soup for you!”
Al Yeganeh opened the first shop in 1984 on West 55th Street, and the eatery became a hit.
Soupman now licenses the name and Yeganeh’s recipes.
In June 2017, Soupman filed for bankruptcy protection, listing debts of approximately $11.8 million.