Columbia Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

NASHVILLE - The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to Billy Raynor pleading guilty to tax evasion.

Raynor, 66, is the principal officer of Farmer’s Family Restaurant in Columbia.  In Maury County Circuit Court last week, Judge J. Russell Parkes accepted Raynor’s guilty plea to six counts of hindering revenue collections and one count of tax evasion.  Parkes sentenced Raynor to two years of supervised probation.

“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 this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Brent Cooper’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, as well as the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department collects around 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2019 fiscal year, it collected $15.3 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $3 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the Department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.

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