Sumner County Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Theft

NASHVILLE - The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to Thursday’s guilty plea of Brian Lewis, 42, to 37 counts of sales tax evasion. Lewis was the owner of Woodland Furniture. Sumner County Judge Dee Gay accepted Lewis’ plea and sentenced him to two years supervised probation for sales tax evasion. Lewis was also ordered to pay restitution of $85,000.  
On July 6, 2015, the Sumner County Grand Jury indicted Lewis on 37 Class E felony counts of sales tax evasion and one Class B felony count of theft of property over $60,000.  The indictments charged that from April 2011 through April 2014, Lewis failed to remit sales tax collected from customers at Woodland Furniture, located in White House and Portland.  
"This investigation will serve as a reminder that retailers are not entitled to use or keep sales tax monies," Revenue Commissioner Richard Roberts said. "When sales tax revenues are collected by a retailer, they are at all times property of the state or local government, and they must be remitted to the state."
The Department pursued this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney General L. Ray Whitley and his staff. 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 2015 fiscal year, it collected $12.6 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $2.4 billion in taxes and fees for local governments.  To learn more about the Department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.