is this the same Drago:
Owner of Long Island Commercial Check Cashing Companies Pleads Guilty to Financial Fraud
John Drago Structured Transactions to Assist Customers in Evading Taxes and Operated an Off-the-Books Payroll
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, John Drago, the former owner/operator of several check cashing businesses on Long Island, pleaded guilty to illegally structuring financial transactions and payroll tax evasion. The proceeding took place before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. When sentenced, Drago faces up to 10 years in prison, has agreed to forfeit approximately $253,000 and to pay restitution of approximately $593,000. As part of his plea, Drago is required to surrender his check cashing licenses, his federal money services business registrations and he is barred from applying for any such licenses or registrations in the future.
Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Thomas Fattorusso, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), and Shirin Emami, Acting Superintendent, New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), announced the guilty plea.
“Drago’s guilty plea makes clear that running a check cashing business is not a license to evade financial reports to cheat the IRS or a blank check for committing fraud,” stated Acting United States Attorney Kasulis. “This Office will prosecute and hold to account defendants like Drago who, under the guise of running a legitimate business, are actually engaging in egregious schemes to avoid paying taxes.”
