Charlotte businessman pleads guilty to tax offense

The defendant failed to pay over more than $2.5 million in employment taxes for restaurants & nightclubs in Charlotte, Miami, and Baltimore

Date: July 2, 2024

Contact: [email protected]

Peter Anthony Thomas, formerly of Charlotte and now a resident of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today to failing to account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the trust fund taxes due and owing on behalf of the employees of PT Media, LLC for the quarter ending June 30, 2021, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI) joins U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.

According to plea documents and today's court proceedings, Thomas was the owner of Club One CLT, LLC, Sports ONE, Inc., Sports ONE CLT LLC, and PT Media, LLC, (collectively "the Charlotte businesses") which operated as sports-themed bar/restaurant/lounges in Charlotte. Thomas also owned several other bars, restaurants, and lounges in Florida and Maryland, including Bar One Miami Beach LLC and Bar One Baltimore LLC. Thomas exercised control over the Charlotte businesses' financial and business affairs and was responsible for collecting trust fund taxes and accounting for employment taxes by filing Forms 941 with the IRS and paying over to the IRS the employment taxes for the Charlotte businesses' employees.

Between 2017 and 2022, Thomas caused the Charlotte businesses to collect more than $640,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees, but Thomas did not pay over these taxes to the IRS. In addition, between 2021 and 2023, Thomas caused Bar One Miami Beach LLC and Bar One Baltimore LLC to collect more than $1.1 million in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees, but Thomas did not pay over these taxes to the IRS. In total, between 2017 and 2023, Thomas caused the Charlotte businesses, Bar One Miami Beach LLC, and Bar One Baltimore LLC to fail to pay over more than $2.5 million in employment taxes, including more than $1,740,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees.

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 cash withdrawals, travel, real estate purchases, and retail purchases. Thomas also caused more than $2.9 million to be transferred between the Charlotte businesses, Bar One Miami Beach, LLC, and Bar One Baltimore, LLC.

Thomas was released on bond following his plea hearing. The tax charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.

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