'RHOA' Alum Cynthia Bailey’s Ex-Husband Hit With Jail Time And $2.5 Million Fine In Tax Case

Cynthia Bailey's ex-husband, Peter Thomas, will not be having the jolly holiday he probably had planned.

The "Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum's former husband has bagged an 18-month prison sentence for pleading guilty to tax debt and evasion.

Peter Thomas also pled guilty this summer to one count of failure to pay trust fund taxes after he was accused of repeatedly evading paying the IRS between 2017 and 2023 for his businesses.

According to a representative for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina, Thomas was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to failing to pay his taxes.

Thomas will also have 2 years of supervised release and has been ordered to pay the IRS $2.5 million in restitution. The reality star pled guilty this summer to one count of failing to pay trust fund taxes owed by his business for six years, from 2017 to 2023.

The entrepreneur also allegedly owed the IRS nearly $650,000 in trust fund taxes on his employees' wages in Charlotte, North Carolina. TMZ also reported that Thomas was accused of defaulting on more than $2.5 million in employment taxes over six years from his businesses in various states.

Fully aware of his looming fate, the businessman took to social media to share a video update in which he urged young entrepreneurs to learn from his mistakes.

He expressed his readiness to face the consequences of his actions, which included "consistently withholding taxes for business over 10 years."

The businessman noted that he thought he could control the situation by drawing a payment plan, but he discovered that "it doesn't work like that." Thomas confirmed that he pled guilty, adding, "I plead guilty. And, with my plea of guilty, I have to sit down for a while."

In January, The Blast reported that the reality star was caught on multiple charges after the local police picked him up for driving under the influence in Cobb County, GA.

He also bagged additional charges, including driving without a license, not having proof of insurance, failure to maintain lane, expired/no tag, and violation of a traffic control device.

However, his demeanor during what was supposed to be a low moment in his life had the internet buzzing. Thomas' mugshot sparked conversations as commenters mistook it for a regular photo op.

The entertainer's signature silver fox looks, with his dyed beard and rugged charm, were on full display. Not only did he raise eyebrows, but he also received a same-day release after paying a $3,000 bail bond.

According to his booking sheet, a judge also decreed he was prohibited from drinking alcohol and ingesting marijuana. He must also be available for random drug and alcohol tests at his own cost with no chance to bear firearms.

This is not the entertainer's first or second run-in with the law, which may explain why he is a veteran at giving the mugshot his best pose.

Thomas was previously seized in 2019 on a fugitive warrant. At the time, authorities revealed that he had spent the night in jail after being arrested at Miami International Airport.

He reportedly possessed a warrant issued from Louisiana, where he was accused of writing fraudulent checks. In an official statement, the "RHOA" star vehemently denied the allegations, declaring he would be "acquitted from any wrongdoing." 

According to the standard booking procedure, he was ordered to get in line for a mugshot. Like his latest police photograph, the restaurant owner slayed the picture and served nothing but a lethal face card for the camera.

Shortly after his 2019 episode about the alleged fraudulent checks ended, Thomas became entangled in another legal drama, this time with his ex-wife. Bailey sued him for $170,000, claiming she loaned him the amount to purchase an Atlanta property.

She filed the case in September 2020 at a Georgia court, stating that her ex-husband promised to repay the loan within 36 months but has defaulted. Bailey claimed he took possession of the property despite failing to pay his debt.

"Defendant has breached the parties Agreement and is in default under the Promissory Note and owes the Plaintiff One Hundred and Seventy Thousand ($170,000.00) Dollars in principal, plus interests from May 27, 2020, until the note is paid," Bailey explained in her petition.

She asked the court to foreclose Thomas' home so she could collect the money she was owed and argued that her ex also needed to pay her attorney fees.

Will Peter Thomas appeal his case and get a shorter sentence?