A former Democratic state representative from Manchester was sentenced to 1½ to 3 years in prison Friday by a Hillsborough county superior court judge for stealing $600,000 that should have gone to the state.
Thomas Katsiantonis pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, four counts of tax evasion, one count of falsifying physical evidence and one count of unsworn falsification, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office.
He was accused of underreporting sales over a five-year period to keep $441,000 in meals and rooms taxes – which are paid by customers but collected by businesses – and evade $154,000 in business profit taxes.
The charges stemmed from his ownership of two Manchester restaurants: Grand Slam Pizza II and Tommy K’s Restaurant and Bar.
Katsiantonis was in his sixth term in the House and a city alderman at the time of his arrest last year. He didn’t run for reelection during the city’s fall elections and resigned from the House in January.
Prosecutors had requested Katsiantonis serve 8 to 15 years, but a judge opted for leniency after an outpouring of support from the community at his sentencing hearing, the Union Leader reported.
Katsiantonis’s sentence also bars him from operating a business that collects the meals and rooms tax. Restitution will be determined at a later hearing.