July 30, 2001
Rocha Pleads Guilty to 10 Counts of Tax Evasion
WASHINGTON, DC - Former Adams Morgan restaurateur Jacqueline Rocha pleaded guilty in DC Superior Court yesterday to 10 counts of failure to pay District of Columbia taxes and paid $100,000 in cash toward her delinquent tax debt.
Rocha, owner of the now defunct MoBay Caf� at 2437 18th Street, NW, was ordered by Judge Kaye Christian to pay a total of $210,000 in back taxes, plus $3,750 in fines and $250 in court costs. The District of Columbia's Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) stated that Rocha did not file or pay taxes for the business for approximately two years.
The Rocha case was first uncovered through investigations by OTR's Compliance Administration, and was prosecuted by the Office of the Corporation Counsel. She was originally charged with 34 counts of failure to report and pay sales and other business taxes, and faced up to 34 years in prison.
"The Office of Tax and Revenue, in conjunction with the Office of the Corporation Counsel, will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute tax fraud and evasion cases, in the interest of protecting District revenue and bringing violators to justice," said Deputy Chief Financial Officer Herbert J. Huff.
