Lexington County restaurant owner faces tax evasion charges, state agency says
A restaurant owner in Lexington County is facing tax evasion charges, according to a state agency.
The South Carolina Department of Revenue said in a Friday release that its agents arrested West Columbia’s Donald Herbert Prevette, 62, and charged him with two counts of tax evasion and one count of operating a business without a state retail license.
The revenue department said the suspect was the owner of Olde Country Buffet in West Columbia. Arrest warrants allege that the suspect reported gross sales of $21,838 during a seven-month period in 2022 and 2023, but that actual sales were $280,874. The revenue department alleged that more than $19,000 in taxes were evaded as a result.
The Department of Revenue also alleges that the suspect’s retail license was revoked in April 2022, but he continued to operate the restaurant without a retail license after warnings from department officers.
The suspect faces a maximum of 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine on each count of tax evasion, and 30 days in jail and/or a $200 fine for the retail license charge.
