RHOA alum Peter Thomas hit with 18 month prison sentence after pleading guilty to failure to pay trust fund taxes

Peter Thomas of Real Housewives of Atlanta fame will now be heading to prison after failing to pay taxes. 

The Bravo alum, who was previously married to RHOA star Cynthia Bailey, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after he plead guilty to failing to account for and pay over to the trust fund taxes due and owing on behalf of the employees of PT Media, LLC, according to the Department of Justice. 

Thomas' sentence includes two years of supervised release following his imprisonment, in addition to a payment of more than $2.5 million as restitution to the IRS.

He allegedly failed to pay over $2.5 million in employment taxes from various sports-themed bars, restaurants, and lounges he owned in different states from 2017 to 2023. 

This figure also included $1,740,000 in trust fund taxes he collected from employee wages. 

'Court documents show that instead of paying the trust fund taxes that were due on behalf of the Charlotte businesses, Thomas used the trust fund taxes for other purposes, including more than $2.5 million in cash withdrawals, $370,000 for travel, real estate purchases, and more than $250,000 in retail purchases, including on high-end purchases at Neiman Marcus, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy,' according to the Department of Justice.  

Thomas plead guilty to the charge over the summer but was only sentenced on Thursday. 

Prosecutors wanted Thomas to spend two years behind bars but his attorney, C. Melissa Owen, fought for a sentence of one year and one day, insisting he was 'incredibly remorseful', according to the Baltimore Banner. 

The reality alum said he was prepared to 'face the music' in video posted the day before his sentencing. 

Poignantly, Thomas made the announcement on the 50th anniversary living in the United States.  

'Tomorrow, I'll be making an appearance in the United States government federal court house, here in Charlotte, North Carolina, to face the music. 

'The music of not paying consistent, consistently withholding taxes for business for over 10 years,' he said.

'I thought it was something that I could rectify by getting on a payment plan and paying it but it doesn't work like that with withholding taxes. 

'I was found guilty. Not found guilty, I plead guilty, and with my plea of guilty I have to sit down for a while. 

Thomas urged other small business owners to avoid making the same mistakes he did.  

'So my public announcement is to tell all small business owners, this is one of those things that you will get locked up for if you don't pay those withholding taxes consistently. United States government don't play with that. 

'So if you don't have that budget to handle your payroll consistently and enough to pay your payroll before you pay your rent, cause the landlord could evict you, you ain't going to go to jail though. Okay? But you will go to jail for not paying your withholding taxes to the United States government.'

Thomas appeared to accept the consequences of his actions and was at peace with how things played out.  

'Tomorrow I'm taking the flame away from all you bloggers out there. Tomorrow I'm in federal court and by tomorrow afternoon this time I'll know my fate.'

'I have to stand up for it. Because I was wrong. And I have to pay the dues. My parents are not excited by this, I know my dad is rolling over in his grave now... and my mom, she wanted to make the trip here to Charlotte, North Carolina and I told her, "No, I don't want you to see me like that." 

'Pay those withholding taxes. Don't fall in the same situation I have.'  

Thomas exchanged vows with Bailey in a 2010 ceremony that was shown on the Bravo show's third season.

Thomas and Bailey separated in 2016 after three years of marriage and their divorce was formalized in 2017.

He's had other brushes with the law, including a recent arrest for DUI.