Ex ‘Real Housewives’ star Peter Thomas just sentenced to 18 months in prison. Here’s why
Peter Thomas is facing the music, and not the kind that’s played at his many nightclubs over the years.
Earlier this month, the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice.
The onetime 305-er pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, North Carolina, to failing to pay more than $2.5 million in employment taxes.
Between 2017 and 2023, Thomas allegedly withheld over $1.7 million from employees’ paychecks at his multiple businesses — including Bar One Miami Beach, which closed in January — but failed to remit it to the IRS.
Prosecutors said that the onetime reality star was motivated by greed and used the dough to “personally enrich himself.”
“Americans can spend their money as they see fit, including on business ventures,” say court documents. “However, they cannot steal other people’s money— in this case their employees’ payroll taxes — to prop up their otherwise failing business ventures.”
The hospitality vet is no stranger to South Florida’s nightlife scene, which he helped elevate with his various business ventures that helped transform South Beach.
In 1992, Thomas started the “How Can I Be Down?” urban music convention that brought thousands of people, the majority of them African Americans, and industry heavy hitters to South Beach to celebrate hip-hop. Soon after, the promoter and record label owner owned and operated Savannah, the first black-owned gourmet restaurant in South Beach. In 2000, Thomas moved back to Miami from Los Angeles and opened BARCODE Restaurant and Lounge, another go-to hotspot for locals and celebrities alike. His latest venture in Miami Beach was Bar One.
The day before sentencing, Thomas, 64, took to Instagram to advise his 832K followers that he was in a serious legal bind, and would have to “sit down for a while,” aka do time.
“I was wrong and I have to pay my dues,” admitted the Jamaica native, who added that he just marked 50 years of being in the United States.
“I didn’t think I’d be celebrating it quite like this,” he said, half joking. “My dad is rolling over in his grave.”
He ended the clip by sending a warning to small business owners:
“Pay your payroll before you pay your rent, because the landlord can evict you, you ain’t going to jail, though.”
Thomas was also ordered to spend two years on supervised release, and to pay back the government all he owes.
Miami Herald reporter Jacqueline Charles contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 19, 2024 at 9:34 PM.
