'RHOA' Peter Thomas Hit With Prison Sentence Amid Planned Return To The Small Screens

Peter Thomas' sentence puts a spanner in the wheels of his return to television. The reality star was reportedly preparing to launch a new television show before the judge sentenced him to 18 months in prison.

As part of his sentence, Peter Thomas will also be placed on supervised release with strong terms and conditions for two years after his exit from jail.

According to documents, plans were actively underway for a new television slated to focus on Thomas' life.

He reportedly filed various letters from friends and family before his sentencing on December 19, including a letter from the production company in charge of the project. Mark Rowen, the company president known as Blue Collar Productions, wrote the letter.

According to Rowen, "Blue Collar Productions is currently developing a TV series based on the life of Peter Thomas. The series will examine Peter's current activities, including his personal relationships, the opening of bars and restaurants, and his legal issues."

The production executive shared that the project will take a documentary style, allowing Thomas to "comment on his views regarding his tax situation, the legal system and educating others on what they could be doing will be present and available."

In Touch confirmed from Rowan that they hoped to find a buyer for the project in the new year and plan to embark on "roughly six months of filming of Mr. Thomas and others in his world."

He concluded that Thomas promised him "the salary he earns will go towards paying his current restitution, the substance of which, I do not have any details."

Before the hearing, which sealed his fate to 18 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release, the businessman and his attorney attempted to negotiate a lesser punishment. His attorney began his speech by saying:

"Mr. Thomas is a sixty-four-year-old serial entrepreneur who is incredibly remorseful for his failure to pay trust fund taxes."

The lawyer explained that Thomas has operated and owned restaurants and clubs throughout the Southeast and appeared regularly on the reality television show Real Housewives of Atlanta. He added that his community loves and respects him.

He described Thomas as a supportive father, loyal brother, and son who constantly uses his social media platform to encourage small business owners to fulfill their obligations to the IRS.

The legal rep claimed his client opened his first restaurant in Georgia in 2014, closed it the same year, and opened another in North Carolina.

"Both businesses struggled since nearly inception. As Mr. Thomas struggled to keep the businesses afloat, he chose not to pay trust fund taxes from the employee payroll," the lawyer added.

He explained that Thomas hoped that business would pick up and he could right his wrongs, but his problems kept increasing, leading him into more debts. 

"In 2018, he opened Bar One – Miami, which had some success but struggled to offset the high rent and cost of upfit. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was a death knell to the Miami location." the lawyer recalled.

He added, "Bar One –  Baltimore never got off the ground. With each business, the obligation became larger and larger," as he pleaded that the court temper justice with mercy and give Thomas a lighter sentence.

As The Blast reported, Thomas will have his hands full right after he exits prison to commence his two-year supervised release.

He was ordered to immediately begin a substance abuse testing program as soon as he gets released. His probation officer will also be on standby to ensure he complies with the court rules.

The probation officer also has the right to conduct random searches on him upon suspicion that he may be in possession of hard drugs. Thomas must also keep off excessive alcohol intake, purchasing drugs, using or keeping narcotics, and other harmful drug paraphernalia.

Earlier in the summer, Thomas also pled guilty to one count of failing to pay up fund taxes debt owed by his business covering six years from 2017-2023.

Additionally, the 64-year-old owed the IRS about $650,000 in trust fund taxes on his employees' wages in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

He also allegedly defaulted on over $2.5 million in employment taxes over six years due to his economic ventures spanning various United States states. Ultimately, the reality star was ordered to pay the IRS $2.5 million in restitution.

Thomas understood the concept of actions and consequences but was determined to teach valuable life lessons from his situation. He used his social media to lecture young entrepreneurs on the dangers of tax debt and encouraged budding businesspeople to learn from his mistakes.

Thomas explained that he "consistently withholding taxes for business over 10 years," which eventually landed him in trouble with the law.

The businessman explained that he thought he could right his wrongs by drawing up a plan to repay his debt, but he discovered that "it doesn't work like that." The "RHOA" alum confirmed that he pled guilty to the charges, noting, "I have to sit down for a while."

Peter Thomas is yet to report to his facility to begin his sentencing!