Hell's Kitchen Restaurateur Accused Of $17M Embezzlement: Feds

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — The owner of two Hell's Kitchen restaurants was arrested by federal authorities on Wednesday, accused of embezzling about $17 million from an electric contractor along with his parents and sister.

Sanjay Laforest, 38, owns the French eatery Le Privé and the Mexican restaurant Casa Del Toro, both located on 10th Avenue between West 44th and 45th streets.

According to federal prosecutors, Laforest's mother, Sabitri, worked as the controller of the electric company and worked to defraud it along with his relatives over an eight-year period starting in 2013 — allowing her family to live "a life of luxury" complete with "international travel, fancy apartments and homes," sportscars and "ownership in successful restaurants," prosecutors said in a news release.

Hours after the arrests on Wednesday, customers with reservations showed up to Casa Del Toro and Le Privé only to find them abruptly closed, W42ST reported.

Sanjay Laforest's Instagram account, which reportedly showed him enjoying beach vacations and jaunting around the city, had been set to private by Thursday, though his Facebook page remained public.

Just days ago, Le Privé was the subject of a profile in the French-American website Frenchly, interviewing Laforest about the origins of his business, which he opened in 2017. (Casa Del Toro opened in February 2020.)

Sanjay used his restaurant businesses to make the embezzled money look like "legitimate business income," prosecutors claimed, also alleging the stolen funds helped him pay for a luxury apartment near Hudson Yards, according to prosecutors.

Laforest and his relatives were charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Sanjay Laforest was released on $1 million bail Wednesday, according to the Daily News.