Owner of Kuzzo's in Detroit accused of sales tax fraud
The owner of a once-popular Detroit restaurant is accused of violating the state's tax laws, officials said Thursday, Nov. 5. Ronald Bartell was arraigned Tuesday, Nov. 3, in 54A District Court in Lansing, according to court records, about nine months after he suddenly closed Kuzzo's Chicken & Waffles, his Detroit restaurant, in February. The 44-year-old Detroit resident is charged with five counts of failing to file a tax return or filing a false return, the Michigan Attorney General's Office said. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison for each felony count. A judge set his bond at $20,000 and scheduled a probable cause conference for Nov. 12. A preliminary exam is set for Nov. 19, court records said. Bartell's attorney, Harrell Milhouse, said Thursday he and his client had no comment on the case. Prosecutors allege the defendant, who established Kuzzo’s LLC and operated Kuzzo’s Chicken and Waffles in Detroit from 2015 until 2026, violated the state sales tax law. "Michigan businesses are expected to properly collect, report, and remit the sales tax they collect to the state Department of Treasury," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. "Sales tax revenue provides essential funding to
