Murad A. Alhanik, owner of Obama Mart in Columbia, was arrested by South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) investigators on four counts of sales tax evasion. Over the course of four years, Alhanik evaded paying more than $136K in sales taxes.

From tax years 2013 to 2016, Alhanik filed monthly sales tax returns reporting a total of $971,935 in gross sales. However, the SCDOR investigation revealed actual sales to be $2,688,533. Due to the underreported sales, the defendant evaded paying $136,753 in sales taxes due to the state of South Carolina.

Alhanik is currently being held at the Alvin S Glen Detention Center. If convicted, he faces fines up to $10,000 and/or up to five years in prison for each count.

The SCDOR is committed to the fair administration of tax laws. By taking enforcement action against noncompliant taxpayers, the Department seeks to prevent unfairly increasing the tax burden on those who do comply.