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ATLANTA – Just in time for the unveiling of Season 17 of RHOA, Peter Thomas, the restaurateur and ex-husband of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Cynthia Bailey, has been released from federal prison after serving part of his sentence for tax evasion.
Thomas, 64, was freed on Friday and transitioned into community confinement in Miami, according to recent reports.
Peter Thomas Freed from Federal Prison After Tax Evasion Sentence
Thomas began his 18-month sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami on August 1, 2025, following a guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The charges stemmed from his failure to pay over trust fund taxes, a federal offense under 26 U.S.C. § 7202.
Prosecutors accused Thomas of withholding employment taxes from his employees’ paychecks at several of his businesses but failing to remit those funds to the IRS over a period of years.
As part of his sentence, he was ordered to pay $2.5 million in restitution to the IRS and will serve two years of supervised release upon completion of his term.
The former reality TV personality, who appeared on multiple seasons of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” alongside Bailey from 2010 to 2017, has ties to the Atlanta area through his time on the show and previous business ventures.
Thomas owned several nightlife spots, including Bar One in Baltimore, which faced scrutiny during his legal troubles.
His marriage to Bailey, a model and actress, was a central storyline on the series until their divorce in 2017.
Upon release, Thomas is subject to several conditions during his supervised probation, including participation in a substance abuse testing program and restrictions on excessive alcohol consumption.
Details of his community confinement in Miami indicate he will remain under federal oversight while reintegrating into society.
Thomas has not yet issued a public statement regarding his release, but prior to beginning his sentence, he addressed fans on social media, expressing optimism about the future. 6 Fans of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” have followed his legal saga closely, with many expressing support online.
This case highlights ongoing issues with tax compliance in the entertainment and hospitality industries.
The IRS has emphasized the importance of remitting trust fund taxes, which are withheld from employees for Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes.
For more updates on local celebrities and legal news, stay tuned to Atlanta News.
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We all know Sheree Whitfield is an expert in branding, from her She By Sheree outfit to her mansion in Sandy Springs, she knows how to get the juice out of the moment.
She’s back on the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” for the 200th episode after taking a hiatus a couple of seasons ago. Ironically, that’s when she uttered the most-repeated phrase of the whole RHOA franchise.
Here is that moment and how it has taken on a life of its own.
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“Real Housewives of Atlanta” star NeNe Leakes is in the news again, this time for sharing her thoughts on the cast and who needs to be gone.
“If I had it my way, I would get rid of two girls,” Leakes told TooFab. Everyone who watches the show knows that she and Porsha Williams have been at odds since the start of Season 10.
“In my opinion, yes — the cast should be changed up a bit,” NeNe told TooFab in a recent interview. “If I had it my way, I would get rid of two girls and bring in two new ones for excitement. You know, after a while with some of the girls, they just don’t have anything going on exciting enough to be a main cast member.”
“But I better keep who I think should go to myself because the moment I say anything, all hell breaks loose,” she said.
She’s right. We’ll see how this goes over with the rest of the cast members.
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“Real Housewives of Atlanta” castmember Kim Zolciak recently appeared on the Sunday night show and acted the fool, getting into it with Kenya Moore. The two had to be pulled apart during a spat.
Speaking to E!, Zolciak says she regretted the exchange. “I hate watching the drama unfold with Kenya, just allowing somebody to push by buttons,” she told the TV show.
Zolciak rose to prominence on the show but broke away when she married NFL player Kroy Biermann after meeting her at a charity event in 2010. The couple are raising six kids in a suburban Atlanta mansion.
Biermann is currently a free agent after the Atlanta Falcons didn’t re-sign him in 2016. Meanwhile, Zolciak says she has soured on reality TV — or has she?
“I have not watched Housewives, I have not watched every episode since I left, so I didn’t know that Kenya was the type—I didn’t even know Kenya. I didn’t know she was the type to just push people and push people until they just lose it until Porsha [Williams] explained to me what she’s been through with her. So I didn’t feel as bad that somebody was able to trigger me and get me that pissed off. But that’s behind me. You’ll see through the season that that doesn’t happen again. No matter what I have to do when she’s around me, I do many things to just not even deal with her.”
