Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Mecklenburg County Restaurant Owner Charged in State Tax Case

Raleigh, N.C.
Feb 15, 2022

A Mecklenburg County businessman has been arrested on felony tax charges filed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Matt R. Coben, 61, of Boynton Beach, Fla., was charged earlier today with three counts of Embezzlement of State Property.

Arrest warrants allege that Coben, managing member of 7 Branches, LLC dba Growler USA, did assist, or aid and abet the business to embezzle, misapply, and convert to its own use, approximately $92,182.48 in North Carolina Sales Tax during the period of Jan. 1, 2016 through Jan. 31, 2019. During this time, Coben was the responsible person of 7 Branches, LLC dba Growler USA and acting as an agent of the State, who was under a duty to collect, hold in trust, and remit North Carolina Sales Taxes to the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

Coben appeared before a Wake County magistrate and was placed under a $50,000 bond. A first appearance is scheduled for tomorrow, Feb. 16, in Wake County District Court in Raleigh.

The charges against Coben resulted from an investigation by a special agent with the Department’s Criminal Investigations Section in Raleigh.

The North Carolina Department of Revenue funds public services benefiting the people of North Carolina. We administer the tax laws and collect the taxes due in an impartial, consistent, secure, and efficient manner.