Hardesty

A federal judge sentenced the owner of two popular Annapolis restaurants yesterday to 18 months in prison for a $2 million tax-evasion scheme, one of the largest ever in Maryland. In court and in an open letter to others in the restaurant industry, Joseph J. "Jerry" Hardesty said his "own stupidity and greed" made him think he could skim cash from his bustling waterfront bars for years without detection or consequence. "I am truly sorry for the grave mistake that I made," Hardesty, 58, said in court, his voice breaking at times.

Joseph Jerome Hardesty, who built a thriving Annapolis restaurant business, acknowledged yesterday that for years he skimmed cash from his ventures, eventually pocketing more than $2 million that was never reported to the federal government. Hardesty, 58, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Baltimore to one count of tax evasion for underreporting his 1997 income by nearly $400,000. Federal investigators said that since 1992, Hardesty had hid $2.06 million from the government by ordering his staff to delete receipts from the computerized bookkeeping system, then locking the extra cash in an office filing cabinet.

A federal grand jury has indicted the owner of a Cecil County hunting shop and two other men on charges of conspiring to sell four machine guns to an undercover agent.The grand jury in U.S. District Court in Baltimore handed up a nine-count indictment against James G. Hardesty, 54, who owns Tri-State Black Powder and Hunting Supplies in North East.Edward G. Miller, 33, of Elkton was charged in three counts of the indictment with conspiracy and unlawful transfer of machine guns, and Terry L. Caron, 33, of North East was charged in two counts.

On January 30, 2006, SHIRLEY L. (nee Hardesty); beloved wife of John L. Francis; loving mother of John Thomas Francis and his wife Teresa and Susan Louise Perkins and her husband Ray; dear sister of Wilson and Carroll Hardesty, Mildred Richarts and the late Marvin Hardesty; cherished grandmother of Paul, Chad and Tanya Francis, Sarah and Mark Perkins. Also survived by ten great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends in the LEMMON FUNERAL HOME OF DULANEY VALLEY, INC., 10 W. Padonia Road, (at York Road)

On May 6, 2005, JOSEPH A. "Pepino"; beloved husband of Anna Marie Serafini (nee Bastianelli); dear father of Gina Serafini and Donna Hardesty; father-in-law of Dale Coutu and Charlie Hardesty; loving brother of Gina Weis and Ida Manna; grandfather of Nicholas Joseph Hardesty. Also survived by several nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephew and loving family in Italy. Relatives and friends may call at Charles S. Zeiler & Son, Inc., 6224 Eastern Avenue (at Folcroft St), on Monday 3 to 9 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Leo the Great Church, on Tuesday at 10 A.M. Entombment Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery.

On August 19, 2005, BETTY LOUISE SHARP (nee Stinchecum); beloved wife of the late Julian C. Sharp; devoted mother of Julie L. Johnson and her husband Robert and Diane L. Delfino and her husband Rick; loving aunt of Pamela Perritt and Paula Sinnott; dear sister of Helen M. Smith; loving grandmother of Jennifer Mayo, Ame Beaken, Gina Hardesty, Ricky Delfino and Julianne Johnson; great-grandmother of Parker Bell, J.R. Jordan, Michael Hardesty, Kegan Johnson,...

On July 17, 2005, RICHARD L.; a former marine and Baltimore City Firefighter, beloved son of M. Arlene Hardesty; devoted father of Heather Marsh, Nikki Saladino and Hannah Saladino; loving brother of Dara Boulden, Sharon Hardesty, Gayle Short and Cathi Lynch; dear grandfather of EJ and LJ. Loving companion of Suzanne Saladino. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Friends may call at the MILLER-DIPPEL FUNERAL HOME, INC., 6415 Belair Road, on Monday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M., where service will be held on Tuesday at 10 A.M. Interment Garrison Forest Veteran Cemetery.

The owner of two popular Annapolis City Dock restaurants, accused of cheating the IRS of about $109,000 in taxes by underreporting his income in 1997, was charged yesterday with tax evasion. Joseph Jerome Hardesty, 58, who also runs the annual Annapolis and Ocean City wine festivals, told the IRS that his taxable income in 1997 was $175,000 -- but he had earned $567,000, according to prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Hardesty owns Middleton Tavern and Fran O'Brien's Oyster Bar and Restaurant, both of which were raided by Internal Revenue Service agents in February 1999.

An Edgewater crossing guard was killed yesterday when she was hit by a car spinning out of control after a collision near her traffic station, county police said.Nancy Hardesty of the 3500 block of Loch Haven Road was severely injured in the collision and died a short time later at Anne Arundel Medical Center. She was 51, the mother of five adult children and a grandmother. She had been a guard for nearly four years."She's part of our family, and it's the same as if one of our officers got killed," said Anne Arundel County Police Chief Larry W. Tolliver, who arrived at the hospital to deliver the devastating news to Hardesty's husband, Robert.

On April 16, 2006, JEAN V., of Odenton, MD (formerly of Baltimore); beloved wife of the late Luke D. Reed. Funeral services and interment private. Contributions are suggester to the Hospice of the Chesapeake, 445 Defense Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401. Arrangements by Hardesty Funeral Home, P.A., Gambrills, MD.