PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 23, 2001 Local Restaurant Owner Charged in Tax Fraud WASHINGTON, DC - James G. Gore, Jr., a restaurateur and owner of the local Coco Loco restaurant, was charged in connection with his failure to file monthly sales tax returns and pay over sales taxes collected by his well known establishment. Gore, president of Chinatown Restaurants, Inc./Coco Loco Management Inc., was charged with 16 counts of tax fraud for his failure to file and pay over sales tax during the period of Dec. 1, 1998 through March 31, 2000. As president of the corporation, Gore is responsible for the collection of sales tax and the subsequent accounting and submission to the District of Columbia by the corporation on a monthly basis. "We cannot allow non-compliance of tax returns and will seek to halt any fraudulent behavior," said Herbert J. Huff, Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the Office of Tax and Revenue. "We are here to protect the citizens' hard-earned tax dollars. Tax fraud is a costly drain on everyone's resources." If found guilty, Gore faces penalties of imprisonment for one year on each count and a fine of $5,000 for each count plus costs of prosecution. Charges were also filed against the corporation for the same periods.