John Zelepos, the owner of Mystic Pizza in downtown Mystic — the restaurant made famous in the 1988 movie starring Julia Roberts — is facing the possibility of prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to tax evasion and financial structuring offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Zelepos, 48, of North Stonington, from 2006 to 2010, regularly diverted the 56 W. Main St. restaurant’s cash business gross receipts and was able to evade payment of federal taxes from 2006 to 2010, according to a statement from federal prosecutors.

The cash was deposited into a variety of places including his personal bank account, his wife’s personal checking account and passbook savings accounts in the name of each of his three minor children, authorities said.

As part of a plea agreement, Zelepos has agreed to make restitution in the amount of $234,407, plus interest and penalties.

Zelepos also pleaded guilty to intentionally structuring financial transactions to avoid having the bank file Currency Transaction Reports. He engaged in 61 currency transactions totaling $522,658 in amounts less than $10,000 from Jan. 5, 2010 through Jan. 24, 2011, authorities said.

Knowing the bank was required to issue a report for a transaction in excess of $10,000, authorities said Zelepos made the transactions in amounts that would not trigger transaction reporting requirements.

As part of the plea agreement, Zelepos has agreed to forfeit $522,658 of the money he intentionally structured between January 2010 and January 2011. IRS Special Agents had already seized $63,084.49 in 2012 from a payroll account Mystic Pizza held at Chelsea Groton Bank. Those funds are being applied to the forfeiture, reducing the remaining forfeiture amount to $459,573.51.

U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly issued a statement with the announcement of Zelepos’ plea.

“Our voluntary system of self-reported tax liability depends upon people to honestly report their income and pay their taxes,” Daly said in the statement. “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.”

U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden will sentence Zelepos on June 23 at federal court in Bridgeport. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 on the tax fraud and structuring charges. He was released pending sentencing.

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.

g.smith@theday.com

Twitter: @SmittyDay