Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Peter Thomas has landed in the crosshairs of the Internal Revenue Service.
Thomas, 63, faces federal felony charges for failure to pay employment taxes for sports bars and lounges he owns in Charlotte, Miami and Baltimore — despite withholding the money from his employees’ paychecks, the Charlotte Observer reported on Tuesday, June 25.
In court documents obtained by the outlet, prosecutors in North Carolina said Thomas skipped out on paying $2.5 million in employment taxes between 2017 and 2023. The government alleged he instead used the money for “travel, real estate purchases, and retail purchases.”
Thomas was previously married to RHOA star Cynthia Bailey, and appeared alongside his then-wife on the Bravo reality series.
Related: ‘RHOA’ Personality Peter Thomas Arrested for Outstanding Warrant
Thomas released a video statement on Instagram Monday expressing “regret” for his mounting troubles with the IRS.
In the video shared by The Neighborhood Talk, he admitted breaking federal tax laws and apologized to his family and friends.
“I did some wrong that I have to make right. I have to stand up, I have to be accountable, I have to be responsible, and I have to pay my debt,” he stated.
He added that the IRS opened a case against him two and a half years ago, and looked into his taxes dating back ten years.
Thomas claimed as his businesses struggled, he fell behind on his tax payments.
“I failed to pay my withholding taxes on time and at some point when the business wasn’t doing well, I failed to pay at all. It’s something that I thought I could work out, catch up on, make whole, but the hole got deeper for me,” he said. “I deeply regret not making the IRS withholding taxes a priority in my life.”
Thomas added that his attorney has been working on a plea deal with the government.
He said he has “no excuses” because paying taxes is “the law.” He called the IRS a “partner” and apologized to the government. He went on to offer advice to other small business owners.
“If you’re starting out a business, make sure that you’re funded enough… make sure that you can cover those withholding taxes,” he said.
Thomas concluded by warning if “Uncle Sam is not getting their piece… it’s gonna come and it’s gonna bite you like it’s biting me now.”
According to published reports, he faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He’s scheduled to appear in court later this week.
Watch the video statement from Peter Thomas below:
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