State’s case against Camas woman who owns Vancouver restaurant dismissed

A sales suppression software case filed against a Camas woman and owner of J&C Cuisine, which operates a Vancouver restaurant, was dismissed earlier this month in Clark County Superior Court.

The Washington Attorney General’s Office had filed the state’s third-ever sales suppression software case in March against Mei Yun Li, 51, alleging she used the illegal software to bilk the state of $134,603 in collected sales tax. She was facing charges of first-degree theft and unlawful use of sales suppression software.

However, on Oct. 19, the prosecution moved to dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning it could be re-filed at a later date. The prosecution said it reached its decision after reviewing the evidence, interviewing witnesses and discussing the case with the defense.

Washington passed a law in 2013 making it a class C felony for anyone to “sell, purchase, install, transfer, manufacture, create, design, update, repair, use, possess, or otherwise make available” software or hardware that deletes transactions, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

The illegal software records cash transactions as less than what was actually paid. The taxpayer then avoids paying sales tax on the missing difference. The taxpayer can also delete entire transactions from the point-of-sale system, court records state.