Tipton County Resident Pleads Guilty to Theft

Covington, Tennessee  - The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to Adam Wade Kelley pleading guilty Monday to theft.  Kelley, 45, was sentenced to eight years supervised probation. 

Honorable Judge Blake Neill ordered Kelley to pay $273,963.22 in restitution to the state before entering the plea and to forfeit $9,037.78 of seized funds.

Kelley pleaded guilty to theft of property over $60,000.  This charge stemmed from his failure to remit sales tax collected from customers at Wyatt Earp’s Steak House. 

“The Department of Revenue has always been committed to making sure Tennessee’s tax laws and procedures are applied uniformly to ensure fairness,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said.  “We can never allow individuals engaged in fraudulent tax activity to have a competitive advantage over honest Tennesseans.”

The Department pursued the criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Mark Davidson’s 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 and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws.  The department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue.  During the 2020 fiscal year, it collected $15.1 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $3.2 billion in taxes and fees for local governments.  To learn more about the department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.

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