A Forsyth County restaurant owner has found himself on the wrong side of the law with charges of embezzling state property. Joseph Edward Curran, 54, of Winston-Salem, the businessman behind Curran Hospitality Group, Inc., which operates 1703 Restaurant & Catering, is facing eight counts as per reports from the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Accused of misappropriating nearly $83,000 in sales taxes, Curran was arrested and charged today, authorities announced.
The investigation, spearheaded by special agents from the Department’s Criminal Investigation Division in Raleigh, discovered that from February 1, 2014, through December 31, 2021, Curran allegedly helped and abetted his company to not just embezzle but also misapply, and convert to its own use approximately $82,937.91 in sales taxes that were supposed to be held in trust and handed over to the state. According to a statement from the North Carolina Department of Revenue, Curran, during that time, was considered a responsible person of his hospitality group and therefore had a duty to collect, secure, and remit these funds appropriately.
Following the charges, Curran made an appearance before a Forsyth County magistrate where he was granted a written promise to make appearances in court. This latitude comes ahead of a scheduled first appearance on October 21, in Wake County Superior Court situated in Raleigh.
