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New York • The chief financial officer for a company licensing recipes from the real-life chef who inspired the "Soup Nazi" character on "Seinfeld" has been arrested on tax charges alleging he cheated the government out of a half million dollars.
Robert N. Bertrand was arrested Tuesday after being charged in Brooklyn federal court with failing to pay Medicare, Social Security and federal income taxes on behalf of the Staten Island-based Soupman Inc.
The company licenses the name and recipes of Al Yeganeh, whose New York soup stand was the inspiration for the "Soup Nazi" character from the television series "Seinfeld."
The government says Bertrand paid Soupman employees unreported cash on the side and gave some workers large unreported stock awards.
Bertrand's lawyer declined to comment.