5/15/2014
By Ivan Pereira
The owner of the DUMBO bar that unexpectedly closed last week was arraigned on unrelated tax violations Thursday, the Brooklyn district attorney’s office said.
Jason Stevens was released on bond after he was charged with several criminal counts including grand larceny, failure to pay sales tax and criminal tax fraud, according to the DA’s office. Stevens was the owner of reBar, which shut its doors Friday after it filed for bankruptcy, shocking the dozens of people who paid deposits for events, including weddings.
A spokeswoman for the Brooklyn district attorney said Stevens charges were related to tax fraud between 2009 and 2012 and not related to the reBar’s closing. The DA’s office isn’t currently investigating the closing, according to the spokeswoman.
“The current matters have to be pursued in civil court,” she said.
Contact information for Stevens’ lawyer was not available by press time.
