Nashville Man Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Theft

NASHVILLE - John D. Peyton Jr, of Nashville, pleaded guilty to theft and tax evasion charges on Wednesday after an investigation conducted by the Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue.  Peyton, age 57, pleaded guilty to one Class C felony count of theft over $10,000 and two Class E felony counts of tax evasion. Rutherford County Judge Royce Taylor accepted Peyton’s guilty plea. As part of the agreement, Peyton will pay $21,000 in restitution and was fined $12,000.  Peyton will serve three years of probation and serve eight hours of community service each month during the first year. The remaining two years will be served unsupervised.

On December 4, 2017, the Rutherford County Grand Jury indicted Peyton on four felony counts of tax evasion and one felony count of theft over $10,000. The indictments allege Peyton evaded taxes due to the Tennessee Department of Revenue by fraudulently registering two houseboats and claiming false trade-ins.

“The Department of Revenue promotes voluntary taxpayer compliance by educating taxpayers, aggressively pursuing criminal sanctions and demanding accountability when taxpayers engage in fraudulent activity," said Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano. "This guilty plea underscores the department's ongoing efforts to enforce Tennessee's tax laws."

The Department pursued this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Jennings H. Jones’ office. Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee's revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws, as well as the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2017 fiscal year, it collected $13.9 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $2.7 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the Department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.