Ray George, owner of Ray and Mike’s Dairy and Deli, was sentenced today for tax evasion.

George, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill to nine months of imprisonment, followed by a year of supervised release and a fine of $5,000, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.  

[media-credit name=”Erin Kane” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]George underreported his income by approximately $365,065 in 2012 and approximately $273,108 in 2013. He also failed to pay a total of $220,000 in taxes for those two years. 

“George’s crime was certainly not a crime borne of necessity,” the prosecutors wrote in the government sentencing memorandum.

George had reported guilty to one count of tax evasion back in May of this year. He was expected to be sentenced to 12-18 months in prison, a fine of $5,000-$55,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

The Hamden native has already paid the IRS $480,000 in back taxes, interest and penalties.

A prison sentence for George does not necessarily mean Ray and Mike’s will close, according to the prosecution. The prosecutors suggest that George could make arrangements to keep the deli open, such as hiring new managers and employees to oversee his deli while he is away. 

George was released on a $100,000 bond and will have to report to prison on March 17, 2020.