OAG Public Corruption Section Announces Guilty Plea of Mark Thorp for Failing to Pay Businesses, Sales & Personal Income Tax

Builds On OAG’s Effort to Level the Playing Field for District Small Businesses Who Follow the Law

WASHINGTON, DC – Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that Mark Thorp, owner of Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar on H Street Northeast and Jimmy Valentine’s Lonely Hearts Club in Trinidad, pled guilty to one count of tax fraud and paid $144,001.08 in unpaid taxes, interests, and penalties to the District of Columbia.

“By not paying his taxes, Mark Thorp not only committed a crime, but illegally gained a competitive advantage over other District business owners who pay what they owe,” said AG Schwalb. “ Businesses deserve  to compete on a level playing field and our office will use the full force of the law to make sure that everyone is playing by the same rules. Whether it is failing to pay taxes, refusing to pay employees, or evading the costs of environmental compliance, cheating in DC will not be tolerated. “

A joint investigation conducted by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) determined that, for tax years 2013 through 2016, Thorp had willfully and intentionally underreported sales, business income, and personal income related to his ownership of Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar and Jimmy Valentine’s Lonely Hearts Club.

On January 12, 2023, Thorp pled guilty to one count of  tax fraud in violation of D.C. Code § 47-4103(b). Thorp paid $144,001.08 in restitution that same day, reflecting the total sales tax, business income tax, and personal income tax due, plus penalties and interest, for tax years 2013 through 2016.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Keith Ingram of the Criminal Section, under the supervision of Bayly Leighton, Chief of the Public Corruption Section. OAG’s criminal tax fraud practice is handled by the Public Corruption Section.

Public Corruption Section
The Public Corruption Section of the Office of the Attorney General’s Public Safety Division focuses on eradicating public corruption—including bribery, fraud, tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and other forms of misuse and appropriation of government resources. The Section investigates and charges local offenses within its jurisdiction that impact the integrity of government services and undermine public trust.