DETROIT — A federal jury last week reached a verdict of “guilty” against Elsayed Kazem “Tom” Safiedine and Mary Fawaz according to the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service. 

Safiedine and Fawaz were found guilty of conspiring to defraud the United States by impeding and impairing the lawful functions of the IRS. Safiedine is an officer and member of multiple businesses that operate and lease gas stations in the Detroit area. 

Fawaz, who lives in Dearborn, was an officer of one of Safiedine’s businesses as well as a bookkeeper and office manager for other businesses he owned. 

The duo did not properly report checks to Safiedine’s JSC Corporation, saying that a gas station was sold for $700,000 as opposed to the $875,000 that was received. 

The pair each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine up to $250,000.