Ball once owned Snappy Tomato in Knoxville
Knoxville – The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to last week’s guilty plea of Jimmy Allen Ball, Jr., former owner of Snappy Tomato Pizza in Knoxville.
Judge Steven W. Sword accepted Ball’s guilty plea to theft of property and two counts of violating Tennessee revenue laws. The charges stemmed from Ball’s failure to report taxable sales at the former business. Ball was sentenced to six years of probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount $69,401.88.
“It is a felony for retailers to collect sales tax from the public and then fail to remit it to the state,” said Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano. “It is a breach of the public trust, and the Department of Revenue will never quit pursuing criminal sanctions to provide accountability for these actions.”
The Department pursued this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Charme P. Allen’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% of total state revenue. During the 2022 fiscal year, it collected $20.9 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $4.3 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.
