Attorney general: Plainfield couple under-reported sales at tobacco store by $4M

A southwest suburban couple has been charged with defrauding the state out of more than $400,000 by under-reporting sales tax at a tobacco shop they own.

Jamal Hussein, 44; and Lucinda Hussein, 41, of Plainfield were charged Thursday with multiple tax-related felonies in Will County Circuit Court, according to a statement from the Illinois Attorney General’s office.

Jamal Hussein was charged with more than 50 counts, including one count each of sales tax evasion of more than $100,000, and sales tax evasion of more than $10,000; and dozens of counts of filing fraudulent sales tax returns, wire fraud and filing fraudulent tobacco products tax returns, according to the AG’s office.

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.

Lucinda Hussein was charged with six counts of failing to file an Illinois sales tax return, and faces up to 5 years, prosecutors said.

The indictment alleges that between January 2011 and September 2015, the couple under-reported more than $4.2 million in taxable sales from Burning Leaf Cigars in Plainfield. That meant the state Department of Revenue lost more than $465,000 in sales tax revenues.

Jamal Hussein’s bond was set at $50,000 and Lucinda Hussein was ordered held on $25,000. Their next court appearance will be Oct. 23 in Joliet.