Nationwide — Peter Thomas, former star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Thursday for failing to pay over $2.5 million in employment taxes. The 64-year-old restaurateur was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and repay the amount owed.Federal prosecutors revealed that between 2017 and 2023, his businesses, including Club One CLT, Sports ONE, PT Media, and Bar One in Miami Beach and Baltimore, withheld over $1.7 million in employee payroll taxes but failed to forward the funds to the IRS.
Thomas, who gained fame as Cynthia Bailey’s husband on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to pay trust fund taxes, according to the Miami Herald.
Federal prosecutors argued that Thomas’s failure to pay was driven by greed, citing his extravagant spending on luxury items worth over $250,000.
“Americans can spend their money as they see fit, including on business ventures,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley wrote in a sentencing memo. “However, they cannot steal other people’s money — in this case their employees’ payroll taxes — to prop up their otherwise failing business ventures.”
Ahead of his sentencing, Thomas shared on Instagram that he never expected to mark the 50th anniversary of his arrival in the U.S. with a prison sentence.
“Pay your payroll before you pay your rent, because the landlord can evict you, but you won’t go to jail. You will go to jail for not paying your payroll taxes.”
Thomas, who has managed restaurants and nightclubs for nearly 40 years, was described by his attorney as remorseful and a respected figure in his community. Despite requests for a lighter sentence, the court’s decision highlights the serious consequences of failing to meet tax obligations.