Lindenhurst car wash owner pleads guilty to tax evasion

A Coram man and owner of a Long Island car wash pleaded guilty Friday to tax evasion for withholding more than $300,000 from the Internal Revenue Service, federal prosecutors said.

Nicholas Pascullo, 56, owned and operated H2O Car Wash & Exotic Detailing LLC., or H20, in Lindenhurst, between 2012 and 2017, according to a joint statement from acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg with the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and acting U.S. Attorney Seth D. DuCharme, with New York’s Eastern District.

"Pascullo attempted to evade income and employment taxes owed by him and H20 for calendar years 2012 through 2106," the statement read. "As part of the scheme, Pascullo filed false partnership and individual income tax returns with the IRS that underreported the gross receipts earned by H20 and flow-through income received by Pascullo and his partners. … Pascullo caused a combined tax loss to the IRS of approximately $315,000," federal authorities said.

He also concealed assets and sources of income by manipulating his business’ books and records, officials said.

Pascullo faces a maximum sentence of five years in lockup, a period of supervised release, restitution and financial penalties, officials said.

Authorities did not specify in their statement when Pascullo will be sentenced or who his attorney is. Pascullo could not be immediately reached for comment Friday. A Long Island attorney, who may be representing him, did not immediately return a call for comment.