Former Rockford Restaurant Owner, Bookkeeper Charged With Over $100K Sales Tax Evasion

James Vitale, 74, former owner of the Stone Eagle Tavern in Rockford and Hoffman Estates, along with Lori Rice, 52, the restaurant’s bookkeeper, have been charged with multiple felony counts related to defrauding the state of Illinois of over $100,000 in sales taxes. The charges include theft of governmental property, sales tax evasion, filing a fraudulent sales tax return, and forgery, stemming from allegations that they underreported sales between 2016 and 2020. Both Vitale and Rice pleaded not guilty and face up to 30 years in prison for the most serious charges. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul emphasized that tax law violations harm the community and vowed to hold offenders accountable in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Revenue. Their next court appearance is scheduled for December 18, 2025. The case was initiated following an investigation by the Illinois Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.