Co-owner of several Georgia restaurants, bars pleads guilty to tax evasion

A co-owner of several bars and restaurants pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges months after his brother was sentenced for the same crime.

Trey Britt tried to evade taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service connected to the bars and restaurant that he owns near Georgia college campuses, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Britt and other owners, including his brother and former Statesboro councilmember Will Britt, made it looked like the restaurants and bars were only owned by a single person. The Statesboro Herald reported that the group owned Rude Rudy’s and Rum Runners in Statesboro, Capital City bar and 119 Chops restaurant in Milledgeville, The Gin in Tifton and Dillinger’s in Americus.

The DOJ says Britt skimmed cash profits from three of the establishments and divided it amongst the group. He also admitted to skimming cash for almost 20 years and not reporting it on his taxes.

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He also admitted to more cash skimming involving beer sales at at 2015 music festival and did not report the amount of cash received. The IRS says Britt’s schemes resulted in a loss over $535,000.

Britt faces up to five years in prison along with possible fines and restitution. A sentencing date has not been set.

“Tax evasion is not a victimless crime,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “We all pay when others cheat our tax system. Tax evasion with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit, did not go undetected. Today’s plea demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust in our tax system.”

A federal judge sentenced Britt’s brother Will Britt to 33 months in prison in August. He admitted to willfully underreporting his income on his 2014 individual tax return, according to the DOJ.