Tax fraud could snuff out string of fried-chicken places in Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan

The Boston Licensing Board holds hearings on five fried-chicken take-out places in Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan on Tuesday to decide whether to pull their food-serving licenses after their main owner pleaded guilty to federal tax-fraud charges related to their operation.

Facing board hearings on charges of hiding owners and revenue on tax and city filings are the listed owners of Crown Fried Chicken, 998 Blue Hill Ave. in Dorchester; New York Fried Chicken, 1198 Blue Hill Ave. in Mattapan; New York Fried Chicken and Pizza, 531 Columbia Rd. in Dorchester; Crown Fried Chicken and Pizza, 344 Warren St. in Roxbury; and New York Fried Chicken, 442 Blue Hill Ave. in Dorchester.

Last month, the board shut down a Hyde Park fried-chicken place that was co-owned by Hazrat Khalid Khan of Middletown, NY, and Riaz Ali Shah, both of whom pleaded guilty earlier in the year to filing fake reports on the restaurant's revenue and payroll with the IRS.

According to federal officials and Shah's lawyer, Khan bankrolled local Pakistanis to set up fried-chicken outlets across the city - and according to the feds, pulled the same IRS stunt at all of them, with Khan's ownership typically being hidden on records filed with both the federal government and Boston.

The board's hearings start at 10 a.m. in Room 809 in City Hall.