A Manhattan bar bizarrely stole its employee’s identity, then saddled her with $2.5 million in tax liabilities by misrepresenting the worker as an owner or officer of the company, a lawsuit claims.

Aleksandra Putnam worked as a payroll processor and operations manager, between 2016 and 2023, for Elizabeth Slavutsky and Armando Soto — a married couple who own and operate Blue Dog Cookhouse and Bar at Two Worldwide Plaza in Hell’s Kitchen. 5

She even helped the pair expand its operations into Florida, moving to the Sunshine State in 2021 to oversee the opening of a Blue Dog location in Boca Raton.

But this summer, Putnam began receiving notices, claiming she owed taxes on Blue Dog’s behalf. When she reached out to Slavutsky, the restaurateur claimed it was a mistake, according to

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