Caught & headed back
Published 10:01 pm Thursday, June 10, 2010
PLANO, Texas — Samina Azhar, the former owner of six area Burger King restaurants, was arrested in Plano, Texas, Wednesday on warrants for failure to pay back meals taxes in Franklin and Isle of Wight County.
Azhar, 56, is at Collin County Detention Center in Texas, according to Officer David Tilley of the Plano Police Department.
“She has to go to court to have a hearing for a waiver of extradition, and then we’ll know what’s going to happen from there,” said Maj. Joseph Willard of the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office.
As the head of Azhar Holdings, LLC, Azhar operated Burger King restaurants in Franklin, Windsor, Suffolk, Smithfield and Chesapeake before abruptly closing the businesses in 2008, and faced charges for failing to pay meals taxes and operating without a business license.
Last year, Azhar appeared in court and agreed to pay delinquent meals taxes in exchange for suspended jail sentences.
The required payments, however, stopped in October. In January, officials said Azhar still owed more than $12,000 to Windsor, nearly $10,000 to Smithfield and about $60,000 to Franklin.
“There have not been any additional payments,” said Franklin City Attorney Taylor Williams.
The Burger King restaurant formerly owned by Azhar on Armory Drive in Franklin reopened last year under new management. The Suffolk restaurant on Bridge Road still is closed, and its contents were auctioned last year. The Windsor restaurant reopened under new management earlier this year.