The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Peter Thomas has officially begun serving his federal prison sentence for failure to pay taxes, Us Weekly can confirm.
Thomas, 64, reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami on Friday, August 1, to serve his 18-month sentence, according to court records obtained by Us. (The Baltimore Banner was first to report the news.)
Thomas, who was married to Housewife Cynthia Bailey from 2010 to 2017, made headlines in September 2019 when he was reportedly forced to close his Sports One Bar and Lounge in Charlotte, North Carolina.
At the time, the restaurant was given a federal tax lien for more than $236,000 as the federal government looked to secure previously unpaid taxes. According to federal public records filed in August 2019, Sports One owed quarterly unemployment and payroll taxes for December 2016 to December 2017.
Thomas’ legal troubles didn’t end there. Federal prosecutors claimed that Thomas failed to pay more than $2.5 million on employment taxes from 2017 to 2023 — including more than $1.7 million that was allegedly taken out of his employees’ paychecks — for several of his businesses.
The former reality star was part of the hospitality space in Charlotte, Baltimore and Miami, with his businesses including Club One CLT, Sports One, Bar One Miami Beach, and Bar One Baltimore.
Thomas allegedly withdrew $2.5 million from his businesses, used $370,000 for travel and real estate and used more than $250,000 on shopping at high-end stores, according to federal prosecutors.
In July 2024, Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of willfully failing to collect and pay over employment taxes. He was sentenced in December of that year to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Additionally, Thomas was ordered to pay more than $2.5 million in restitution to the IRS.
According to court records obtained by Us, Thomas is expected to be released in November 2026.
“All my people told me not to post this, that I am crazy if I do, I am not CRAZY, just real as f***, the first thing I must say to all new business owner, please pay that withholding tax, you do not want to be in the position that I am right now, THE LAW IS THE LAW,” he wrote via Instagram in May. “It’s not easy for us Black men, especially in my industry, no bank fund restaurant/bar/lounge, we have to put that s*** on us 💯, this is a NEW chapter in my life, it’s call accountability & responsibility.”
Thomas called this time his “road to redemption,” noting, “I have 3 black son[s], and I must lead by example, also for my 4 beautiful grandson[s], this life ain’t easy, but we’re resilient, and your granddaddy is a KING.”
He concluded: “GOD BLESS, and by the way, I didn’t just found GOD in my time of troubles, I was raised this way. LOVE. PT.”
