Former Rockford restaurant owner and bookkeeper charged with sales tax evasion

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Ill. — A former Rockford restaurant owner and his bookkeeper are being accused of defrauding the state.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced on Monday that 74-year-old Jimmy Vitale of Belvidere and 52-year-old Lori Rice of Rockford were given their charges after it was alleged the two defrauded Illinois out of more than $100,000 in sales taxes.

Raoul said Vitale and Rice underreported sales for the Stone Eagle Tavern, a restaurant owned by Vitale with locations in Rockford and Hoffman Estates.

Between January 2016 and September 2020, Vitale and Rice underreported sales producing more than $100,000 in tax liability, according to Raoul's office.

The Rockford Stone Eagle Tavern was demolished in 2024 after Vitale's 15-year-lease on the property expired.