Peter Anthony Thomas, a Charlotte businessman now residing in Miami, Florida, entered a guilty plea for failing to remit over $2.5 million in employment taxes to the IRS, according to an announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office. The taxes stemmed from wages collected between 2017 and 2023 at his sports-themed bar/restaurant/lounges in Charlotte, and other establishments in Florida and Maryland. Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office, joined King in the announcement.
Court documentation reveals that Thomas, 63, owned several businesses including Club One CLT, LLC, Sports ONE, Inc., Sports ONE CLT LLC, and PT Media, LLC, along with Bar One Miami Beach LLC and Bar One Baltimore LLC. He was responsible for accounting for and paying over trust fund taxes - despite collecting these taxes from employees’ wages, Thomas used the funds for personal expenses like travel, real estate, and retail purchases. In addition, he also orchestrated transfers exceeding $2.9 million between his various business entities, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The missing employment taxes accumulated to more than $640,000 from his Charlotte establishments and over $1.1 million from his Florida and Maryland ventures. The charge against Thomas could lead to a maximum sentence of five years in prison, following his guilty plea. While a sentencing date remains pending, Thomas was released on bond after his hearing.
Investigation into the case continues under IRS-Criminal Investigation. Caryn Finley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are leading the prosecution of Thomas, who owned and exercised decisive financial control over entities that failed to pay taxes on behalf of their employees. Through their collected evidence, the government portrays a man who chose personal gains over fiscal responsibility, highlighting an often-seen hubris against a system in place to serve as a bedrock for social services funded by these very taxes. More updates on the case will likely follow as agency proceedings advance.
