NEW ROCHELLE, NY (February 3, 2023) — Allan Ramiah, one of the individuals and business owners arrested in 2020 as part of Operation Sledgehammer is facing new charges of tax fraud.
In December 2020, five registered businesses and nine defendants were charged for their role in the “Jawahir Enterprise”, an enterprise insurance fraud scheme operating in lower Westchester and the Bronx
Operation Sledgehammer was a nearly two-year long investigation conducted by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
Five registered businesses and nine defendants were charged with Enterprise Corruption for defrauding insurance companies by enhancing motor vehicle damage and falsifying insurance claims. Additionally, three other individuals were charged on separate felony complaints with other crimes relating to this scheme.
Four of the defendants Joseph S. Cermele, Rangee Jawahir, Georgette S. Sloley, and Wayne M. Scott were arrested on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, and arraigned in New Rochelle City Court. The remaining individuals, Ronnie Lee-Andros Jawahir, Allan Ramdeo Ramiah, Ronald Jawahir, Danesh Singh, and Andrew Arjune, were arrested Tuesday, December 8, 2020, and also arraigned in New Rochelle City Court. All individuals were released without bail and are to return to court on different dates throughout December and January.
Most of the cases continue to wend their way through the courts. The most recent sentencing was based on a negotiated plea. Georgette Sloley pleaded guilty to Insurance Fraud 3 (felony) and Insurance Fraud 5 (misdemeanor) on January 26, 2022. She was sentenced on January 25, 2023, to three years of probation.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Robert Cox is the last remaining court reporter working in Westchester County. He attends court regularly to monitor progress on dozens of cases; that reporting is included in his weekly Court Reporters Notebook and is often the basis for stories on Talk of the Sound (like this one). To subscribe to his newsletter visit Words in Edgewise on Substack.
Ramiah was arrested again on January 17, 2023 by the New York State Police (Cortlandt) and charged Criminal Tax Fraud – 3rd Degree, Grand Larceny – 3rd, False Instrument – 1st (Intent to Defraud), Criminal Tax Fraud-4th Degree. He was arraigned before Judge Matthew J. Costa in New Rochelle City Court on February 1, 2023 during an appearance in the ongoing Operation Sledgehammer case.
OPERATION SLEDGEHAMMER: New Rochelle-based Auto Insurance Fraud Ring Busted
Allan Ramiah is the President of Ramiah Auto Repair, Inc., located at 214 Main Street in New Rochelle, NY. In a felony complaint filed on January 25, 2033 by the Criminal Investigations Division of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Ramiah and his business were charged with 4 counts related to tax fraud during a period on or about April 15, 2018 to on or about April 15, 2020.
According to the felony complaint, Ramiah received income from Ramiah Auto Repair. An audit by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Criminal Investigations Division determined that Ramiah applied for the authority to have Ramiah Auto Repair, Inc. collect sales tax on behalf of and to be held in trust for New York State, that said authority was granted, and that said business is an “S” Corporation.
Ramiah’ would have had to file a personal income tax return for tax years 2018 and 2019, and that a search of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance databases reflect that defendant Ramiah failed to file a personal tax return with New York State for tax years 2018 and 2019.
Ramiah had a tax liability due and owing to New York State in 2018 of $15,987 and for tax year 2019, a tax liability of $13,837.
Ramiah failed to file and remit $15,987 in tax as required and thus paid in excess of ten thousand dollars less than the tax liability that was due within a one year time frame.
Ramiah, for taxable year 2019, failed to file and remit $13,837 in tax as required and thus paid in excess of ten thousand dollars less than the tax liability that was due within a one year time frame.
Ramiah Auto Repair, Inc. filed sales tax returns as required for tax year 2019, the returns filed do not accurately reflect the true taxable sales by the business, and as such, said returns, filed for said period are false. As a result, defendant Ramiah and defendant Ramiah Auto Repair, Inc. collected in excess of $23,000 on behalf of the State which was not included on New York State sales tax returns filed with or remitted to the State.
Ramiah knowingly failed to include all of the taxable sales and sales tax collected on returns and with intent to defraud filed sales tax returns with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance for 2019.