Richland County man charged with tax evasion

SCDOR agents arrested a Richland County man on Thursday and charged him with four counts of tax evasion.

Tyrone Cyrus, 50, of Columbia, is an owner of Kiki's Chicken and Waffles, a chain of Columbia-area restaurants, and was responsible for filing the business's Sales Tax returns.

From 2018-2021, according to arrest warrants, Cyrus reported $8,194,333.42 in net taxable sales. However, an investigation showed actual sales for the business were at least $11,195,784 over the period, meaning Cyrus evaded at least $3,001,450 in taxable sales. As a result, he evaded approximately $231,701 in South Carolina Sales Tax.

If convicted, Cyrus faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine for each count, plus the cost of prosecution. He is being held in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

If you suspect or know of anyone or a business that has committed a state tax crime, such as tax evasion or tax fraud, contact SCDOR Criminal Investigation and submit a Tax Violation Complaint Form (CID-27) to [email protected] or mail it to:

South Carolina Department of Revenue
Attn: Fraud Advisor
2070 Northbrook Blvd, Suite B7
North Charleston, SC 29406

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MEDIA INQUIRIES:

SCDOR Public Information Office
[email protected]