He’s free! Well, sort of. Peter Thomas, the ex-husband of Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey, has been released from federal prison after getting locked up over a tax scheme. Prosecutors accused him of stealing $2.5 million in payroll taxes from his employees.
Peter wound up taking a plea deal and received an 18-month prison sentence, but he’s out of there way earlier than expected. He took to Instagram this week to celebrate the good news, even though he’s not fully cleared from this legal drama.
RHOA alum Peter Thomas isn’t out of the legal woods just yet
On Thursday, February 25, Peter took to Instagram to let the world know that he’s no longer behind bars. He posted a video of himself, wired headphones in his ears, vibing out to the new T.I. song. He didn’t include a caption, but the look on his face said it all. He’s thrilled to no longer be sharing a shower with a room full of felons.
TMZ also confirmed his release with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He is no longer being held at the Federal Correctional Institution, Miami. Instead, he’s under community confinement supervision of the Miami Residential Reentry Management Office.
That means he could be in a halfway house, or he’s being held in home confinement to complete his sentence. It’s a similar arrangement to when Jen Shah from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City left prison earlier than planned. When this happens, the Feds don’t confirm which option the inmate has entered.
Either way, Peter will be locked into this arrangement until August 2026, at which point he’ll begin two years of supervised release. In the meantime, they’ve ordered him not to drink alcohol in excess or use narcotics. And he’s definitely still on the hook for paying back the $2.5 million.
Although Peter’s legal troubles aren’t over, he’s no longer a “prisoner” by any means. That means it’s probably only a matter of time before he’s back trying to open another restaurant somewhere.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta returns to Bravo on Sunday, April 5 at 8/7c. It’s always available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE PETER BACK HOME SO SOON? DO YOU THINK HE’LL STAY OUT OF TROUBLE FOLLOWING HIS PRISON STINT?
