Thirty armed Revenue agents descended on the hotels forcing guests to leave and padlocking the doors.

That’s after officials say owner Jugal Purohit fell behind paying his sales tax and employee income tax withholdings.

The raid comes as the state continues to battle sluggish tax collections.

Purohit’s lawyer Bill Trotter says his client had already made three monthly payments to the State and that the raid was unnecessary.

"Even if the department of revenue was desperate to get the funds all they had to do was send one person with a levy notice not to send thirty armed agents that took the steps that they took," said Trotter. "That didn’t have anything to do with tax. It was a punitive thing."

According to Trotter his client’s debt was fully paid by the middle of the day Monday.

He says the total amount including interest was more than $900,000.

According to public records Purohit has a history of tax liens dating back to 2005.

Tags: Georgia Department of Revenue, Bart Graham, hotel raid, unpaid taxes