The owner of the Mystic Pizza restaurant made famous in a 1988 movie has pleaded guilty to federal tax charges. The U.S. Attorney's Office says 48-year-old John Zelepos of North Stonington faces up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to tax evasion and financial structuring offenses. The restaurant owner may also be forced to pay a $500,000 fine. Prosecutors said in a release that between 2006 and 2010, Zelepos diverted just over $567,000 from Mystic Pizza's gross receipts into his personal bank accounts and those of family members. They say he then filed false tax returns to hide the income. Owner: Mystic Pizza owner John Zelepos (seen here in 2008) has pleaded guilty to federal tax charges . On the big screen: The 1988 movie 'Mystic Pizza,' starring (from left to right) Annabeth Gish, Lili Taylor and Julia Roberts, focused on three waitresses working at the pizza restaurant . Prosecutors said he's agreed to paying $234,407 in restitution over the tax returns along with interest and penalties. They also said that Zelepos is going to forfeit funds he put in accounts in an attempt to skip currency transaction reports (CTRs), which come to $522,658. 'Federal law requires all financial institutions to file a CTR for currency transactions that exceed $10,000,' the release said. 'To evade the filing of a CTR, individuals will often structure their currency transactions so that no single transaction exceeds $10,000.' Prosecutors said in the release that Zelepos made deposits 'ranging from $3,000 to $9,998 on sequential days or multiple cash deposits on the same day.' They said Zelepos made deposits under $10,000 on purpose to skip the reports. A slice of heaven: The famed 'Mystic Pizza' opened in 1973. Its owner, John Zelepos, has pleaded guilty to tax evasion and financial structuring offenses . Sensation: Mystic Pizza (seen in 2008) has become a tourist attraction since Julia Roberts starred in the movie about the lives of three waitresses working at the small-town pizza parlor . Zelepos will actually forfeit $459,573.51 since the IRS earlier seized $63,084.49, prosecutors said. 'Our voluntary system of self-reported tax liability depends upon people to honestly report their income and pay their taxes,' U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly said in the release. Daly added 'Those who willfully hide their income and purposefully evade paying their taxes steal from the public and damage our nation’s system of taxation. 'Violators will be prosecuted, punished, and obligated to repay their taxes along with applicable penalties and interest.' The Hartford Courant reported the restaurant was previously required to pay $105,000 to 110 workers for failing to pay them mandatory overtime and paying them under minimum wage. The famed pizza restaurant opened in 1973, according to Mystic Pizza's website. Mystic Pizza became a tourist attraction after Julia Roberts starred in the movie about the lives of three waitresses working at the small-town pizza parlor. Zelepos is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says Mystic Pizza's 48-year-old owner John Zelepos faces up to 15 years in prison.
He has pleaded guilty to tax evasion and financial structuring offenses.
Prosecutors between 2006 and 2010, Zelepos diverted just over $567,000 from Mystic Pizza's gross receipts.
He diverted the money into his personal bank accounts and those of family members, they said.
Prosecutors said Zelepos also made bank deposits under $10,000 to skip currency transaction reports filed by banks.
Mystic Pizza became a tourist attraction after Julia Roberts starred in a 1988 movie about the lives of three waitresses working there.