Blake Ewing businesses failed to pay $80k in taxes.

[sgrizzle]

Here are the facts directly from the Court filings:

OTC v. Legends
http://www.oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=tulsa&cmid=2968690

Tax warrants issued 7/21/16 for non-payment of sales and mixed beverage taxes for the months of December, January, March and May. Claims appear to be just short of $40k.


OTC v. The Max
http://www.oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=tulsa&cmid=2968694

Tax warrants issued 3/30/2016 for non-payment of sales and mixed beverage taxes in November and December. Claims appear to be just short of $18k.


OTC v. the Fur Shop
http://www.oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=tulsa&cmid=2968698

Tax warrants issued 6/15/16 and 7/21/16 for non-payment of sales tax and mixed beverage taxes in December 2015 and May 2016. Another warrant is for failure to pay mixed beverage from May 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015. Claims appear to be ~16k (maybe? They give three numbers and I don't know if the new warrant supersedes or adds to the old warrants).

- - -

Correct my facts if I read them wrong, just quickly pulled them and posted so others can review.

I wanted to point out that in CF's research it shows that taxes were being paid, just not every business every month, which would indicate clerical issues and not defiance of the law. Why would someone pay's April's taxes before they paid March for example?

Also, I don't have any insider information on what happened, but anyone running multiple businesses like this has to delegate a lot and he has had a lot of turnover in the people he delegated to. Restaurant and bar management is not sexy or really high-paying, it's a lot of work with few perks.

If nothing else, the Smash Mouth concert should've brought in enough to pay those bills.

[cbs]

If nothing else, the Smash Mouth concert should've brought in enough to pay those bills.

What a crazy night. My favorite part was when they debuted their new edm track! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LSBrccSbBI

[davideinstein]

Do you think he should resign from office?

Potentially.

[davideinstein]

It's embezzlement.....At the very least....

Seriously. Those numbers make it obvious it's not just a clerical error. I get mistakes, but this seems to be systematic.

[davideinstein]

Embezzlement? That's a spin. Especially without direct knowledge.  I know two employees who worked for JoMomma's. They both spoke of the administrative confusion they faced but they didn't find it unusual having worked for other restaurants. One even received two W-2's from them. That indicated that they had some clerical problems.

Yes, it wasn't his money. He was just to pass it on to the state. Business is messy. He screwed up and is working to pay off the state.

If you get a warrant in March for one business, why is there a later warrant for mistakes in May?

[davideinstein]

You really seem to be hoping for the worst about Blake.

As someone who has many family members in the restaurant business I can tell you that this sort of thing is not unusual. Especially when you are dealing with multiple locations and are large enough to have others running your day to day operations. One of my Aunt's went through this very thing with two of her places and a small hotel she owns last year. Mistakes happen, frequently.

It's absolutely unusual to have this much money not accounted for. I work in the industry.

[davideinstein]

In any given month, the OTC bill is the easiest bill not to pay.  If you don’t pay the beer/food vendors one month, they stop delivering beer and food.  If you don’t pay OTC one month, nothing happens - for a while.   Sounds a lot more like a cash flow issue than a clerical issue.

I'd buy the cash flow issue. Sales are down at a lot of downtown establishments. My frustration is blaming employees. There is only one way to succeed in the service industry and that's owning up to mistakes, holding yourself accountable and working hard. That pretty much always trickles down to the people below you.

[Breadburner]

In any given month, the OTC bill is the easiest bill not to pay.  If you don’t pay the beer/food vendors one month, they stop delivering beer and food.  If you don’t pay OTC one month, nothing happens - for a while.   Sounds a lot more like a cash flow issue than a clerical issue.

Yes...Keeping the cash that's not yours to keep....

[swake]

It's absolutely unusual to have this much money not accounted for. I work in the industry.

The cash flow of a sandwich shop and a bar are very, very different.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

The cash flow of a sandwich shop and a bar are very, very different.

Especially when the sandwich shop reports to a franchise owner that takes care of payroll, tax reporting both payroll and sales tax, and reports to a corporate office that makes sure that franchise owners are operating their stores properly and steps in quickly if things are not done right.

[Breadburner]

The cash flow of a sandwich shop and a bar are very, very different.

They are....How so...

[Breadburner]

Potentially.

Agree 100%....There is a pattern here...

[AquaMan]

They are....How so...

For one thing the managers of sandwich shops rarely run off with the nights earnings! Not that uncommon in bar operations. Unless they operate out of an open till, a sandwich shop has every transaction monitored by the register. A bar has lots of cash floating around.

[swake]

They are....How so...

A busy night at a popular bar will take in more cash in one night than a sandwich shop would in weeks. $7 sandwich combo vs $7 drink. The profit margin is very different too.

[Breadburner]

A busy night at a popular bar will take in more cash in one night than a sandwich shop would in weeks. $7 sandwich combo vs $7 drink. The profit margin is very different too.

What does that have to do with anything...So in other words you have never been involved in either type of business at any level..