Jefferson Park restaurant duped feds out of $243K, landlord says

A former restaurant owner in Jefferson Park has been accused by his one-time landlord of defrauding the federal government out of $243,000 in pandemic aid.

Sarto’s was a highly regarded Italian restaurant at 2900 W. 25th Ave. from 2014 until its closure in October 2020. It was founded by Taylor Swallow, who had been a real estate consultant and lender before leaving the corporate world and opening the restaurant.

Federal records show that in March 2021, five months after it closed, Sarto’s received a $243,297 loan through the Paycheck Protection Program — money that was supposed to be used to keep workers employed. The loan has not been repaid. The address that Sarto’s listed on its PPP loan application, 1766 W. 46th Ave., is a post office in Sunnyside.

Jefferson Park LLC, which owns 2900 W. 25th Ave. and whose operating manager is businessman Ken Wolf, is still owed $98,000 in back rent from Sarto’s. The landlord says the PPP loan is just one example of Swallow...