Benton, TN - The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to the guilty plea on April 22, 2022, of Richard Seburn Tyler, Jr., (64) to theft, and tax evasion.  Tyler failed to file sales tax returns and remit collected sales tax while operating Whitewater Grill, formerly located in Ocoee, Tennessee.

Judge Andrew Freiberg accepted Tyler’s guilty plea and sentenced him to two years of supervised probation, to be converted to unsupervised probation upon full payment of the restitution amount of $38,224.90.

“The Department of Revenue has always been committed to making sure Tennessee’s tax laws and procedures are applied uniformly to ensure fairness,” said Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano.  “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 Stephen D. Crump’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 2021 fiscal year, it collected $18.4 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $3.7 billion in taxes and fees for local governments.  To learn more about the department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.

###