Prosecutors have charged restaurateur Michael Whitelaw with evading about $100,000 in sales taxes at his now-shuttered Uptown eatery called the Social House, the Hennepin County attorney's office announced Wednesday.

Whitelaw, 46, of Eagan, faces 68 felony counts related to failing to pay or file sales taxes over a three-year period, Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman said.

"This thorough investigation by the Minnesota Department of Revenue and the charges we have filed show that Mr. Whitelaw knowingly took the money his customers rightly thought was going to the state government and kept it for his business," Freeman said. "That type of behavior cheats the taxpayers who are following the law and cheats other businesses in competition with Mr. Whitelaw."

Whitehall, who prosecutors said has no criminal history, has been issued a summons because he was not considered a flight risk. He had been audited by the Revenue Department for filing fraudulent state sales tax returns, prosecutors said.

A criminal complaint filed in court Wednesday charges that Food Group Holdings LLC, of which Whitelaw is a corporate officer, intentionally filed false tax returns for 2009, 2010 and most of 2011, under-reporting its income by more than $1.1 million. Prosecutors said that the company failed to pay $100,589 in sales taxes.

The Social House was the latest incarnation of the popular Japanese fusion restaurant on the corner of Hennepin and Lagoon Avenues previously known as Fusion and Zeno Café. The restaurant closed earlier this year, Freeman said.

If convicted of all the charges, Whitelaw could face up to 23 months in prison and fines and interest that would bring his bill to $171,391, prosecutors said.

It was not immediately clear whether Whitehall had a lawyer.

Libor Jany • 612-673-4064 Twitter:@StribJany