Federal Charges Leveled At Harryman House Owner Over Alleged Tax And Wage Violations

REISTERSTOWN - John H. Worthington, owner of The Grill at Harryman House in Reisterstown, is facing federal charges for not delivering employees' withheld wages and business taxes to the IRS and allegedly providing incorrect data on his personal tax return.

A complaint was made public on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore, where federal authorities accused Worthington, a resident of Owings Mills and the proprietor of the restaurant, of neglecting to submit corporate and employment tax forms for his enterprise, as well as his personal tax return, to the IRS over a period of roughly four years.

The complaint further alleges that his failure to present quarterly employer tax returns resulted in Harryman House owing over $1.4 million in taxes from late 2016 to early 2021. Over two-thirds of this amount had been deducted from the paychecks of the restaurant's employees.

According to prosecutors, during this period, thousands of dollars from Worthington's business was spent on debt repayment and personal expenses, including his mortgage, car costs, his children's university fees, and dues for a golf club membership.

Worthington faces charges of intentionally not reporting income, not paying federal taxes, and submitting a fraudulent tax return. Prosecutors claim that Worthington misrepresented his 2016 individual income tax return, stating he and his spouse paid over $24,000 in taxes, whereas according to prosecutors, they paid none.

It's also alleged that Worthington gave his accountant "inaccurate, deceptive, and incomplete information" about his earnings from the restaurant and failed to file any income tax return for the subsequent five tax years.

The restaurant is located in a restored log cabin on Reisterstown's Main Street, dating back to the late 18th century. Purchased in 1985 by an investment firm partly owned by Worthington, it was initially transformed into a specialty market before becoming a restaurant. According to the complaint, Worthington has been the sole owner and president of the business since 1995.