ATLANTA — Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles was once a landmark spot for Atlanta eaters. Now the former owner of the boarded up restaurant chain has been sentenced to prison.
Shanga A. Hankerson, the son of Atlanta native and superstar Gladys Knight, opened the first Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles location back in 1997 at 618 Ponce de Leon Ave.
“Gladys Knight lent her name to her son’s restaurants in the Atlanta area, similar to a celebrity endorsement," Laura Herlovich, a spokesperson for Knight, told USA TODAY.
The restaurant's opening was visited by Atlanta's mayor at the time Bill Campbell, as well as a pair of R&B stars. Over the next two decades, the increasingly popular restaurant budded into a chain with three different locations.
In 2016, the restaurant chain was raided by the Internal Revenue Service. Shanga A. Hankerson was at the center of a investigation involving $1 million in allegedly diverted funds. Hankerson was ultimately released on a $20,000 bond.
Gladys Knight later filed suit to have her name and likeness removed from the former business. After a series of failed health inspections, the restaurant chain closed all of its doors. Knight won her bid to have her likeness removed from the chain.
Shanga A. Hankerson has now been sentenced for willful failure to remit payroll taxes, the United States Attorney's Office reports.
“Hankerson willfully disregarded his tax obligations for many years,” Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine said in a release. “Payroll taxes fund social insurance programs, including Social Security and Medicare, and are a large source of revenue for the federal government. Employers who fail to comply with their legal obligations will be held accountable.”
From 2012 to 2016, Hankerson reportedly failed to pay over $1 million in payroll taxes. Hankerson pleaded guilty and was convicted on July 21, 2021. Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown, Shanga Hankerson will serve two years in prison, one year of supervised release and has been ordered to pay restitution of $1,039,310.65.
“While ownership of a well-known restaurant in our community has its perks, it also comes with great responsibility,” IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey said in a release. “Paying taxes is a way to give back to the community, but unfortunately Hankerson chose to use those funds for other means. This sentencing emphasizes that all employers, big and small, have equal responsibility to collect, report, and pay over their payroll taxes.”
