Peter Thomas is ready to “face the music” in his tax fraud case, as the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star pleaded guilty to the offense this week, and has been sentenced to 18-months behind bars.
Confirmed by TNT, the 64-year-old restauranteur will also undergo two years of supervised release and pay $2.5 million in restitution after doing his time.
The Bar One owner was accused of failing to pay employee business taxes while blowing just under $375,000 on travel and ride-sharing services and $250,000 on luxury goods, including designer duds from Prada, Louis Vuitton, and more. “Thomas’s flagrant violation of his federal payroll tax obligations over many years that served to unjustly enrich his companies and himself by more than $2.5 million and deprive the federal government funds used to provide important retirement and disability benefits to employees,” the memo reportedly read, People reports.
In a reaction post to the news of his sentencing, Thomas shared his appreciation for his attorney, as well as the prosecutor and judge, calling them “fair people” despite the outcome. He adds that he is “grateful” for the overall outcome before telling his Instagram followers, “I’ll see you guys soon.” He later added that the judge has allowed him time to get his business affairs in order before turning himself in, and that the entire situation isn’t as bad as it may seem. Hear him out below.
Ahead of the sentencing, Thomas shared a video explaining his decision to plead guilty, confessing, “I’ll be making an appearance in the United States government federal courthouse here in Charlotte, North Carolina, to face the music. The music of … consistently withholding taxes for [my] businesses [for] over 10 years…I thought it was something that I could rectify by getting on that payment plan and paying it. But it doesn’t work like that.”
He then offered a warning within the clip’s caption, writing, “Public announcement, most people are confused when it come to paying withholding taxes, I am here to set the record straight, yes you will go to jail, test you still have to pay the taxes also, jail don’t mean that the taxes is forgiven. All young business owner, please learn for my mistake. Have a bless day, happy holidays.” Check out the clip below.
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