Smyrna BBQ restaurant owner indicted on tax evasion, theft charges

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The owner of a local barbecue joint has been indicted following a Tennessee Department of Revenue investigation into a tax evasion scheme.

Scharneitha Britton, owner of Kinfolks BBQ in Smyrna, was indicted by a Rutherford County grand jury on a felony charge of theft over $60,000, 13 counts of money laundering and 36 felony counts of tax evasion. The indictments allege Britton, 66, underreported sales that should have been taxed and failed to remit additional sales tax collected from her customers.

“Investigations, such as this one, should warn retailers that failing to properly remit all the sales tax monies they collect is a crime,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said in a media release. “The taxes collected from customers are property of the state and local governments at all times. Customers have a right to know that the tax they pay will be remitted to the state and used for the public good of all Tennesseans.”

If convicted, Britton could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison and fined up to $3,000 for each count of tax evasion, and 12 years and fined up to $25,000 for money laundering and theft.

The department of revenue is pursuing this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Jennings Jones’ office.

Britton’s bond was set at $25,000.

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