Snipes gets the max-3 years in tax case

[Buffmaster]

Snipes gets the max 3 years in tax case





(CNN) -- Actor Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison and fined up to $5 million Thursday for evading federal income taxes, CNN affiliate WESH is reporting.

Wesley Snipes, setnenced to three years in prison, starred in "Blade," "Major League" and "Murder at 1600."

1 of 2 It was the maximim sentence possible under federal sentencing guidelines.

Prosecutors last week urged U.S. District Judge William Hodges in Ocala, Florida, to sentence Snipes to the maximum penalty to demonstrate to taxpayers that refusal to pay income taxes carries severe penalties.

Snipes was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of failure to file federal income tax returns.

"This case presents the court with a singular opportunity to deter tax fraud nationwide," the government said in its sentencing recommendation. Watch more on Snipes' defense »

Snipes, who has starred in movies such as "Blade," "Major League" and "Murder at 1600," had been charged with felony conspiracy counts for participating in a scheme that rejects the legal foundation of the tax system. However, a jury accepted his argument that he was innocently duped by errant tax advisers and acquitted him on the most serious charges.

"The fact that Snipes was acquitted on two felony charges and convicted 'only' on three misdemeanor counts has been portrayed in the mainstream media as a 'victory' for Snipes," the government document says.

"The troubling implication of such coverage for the millions of average citizens who are aware of this case is that the rich and famous Wesley Snipes has 'gotten away with it.' In the end the criminal conduct of Snipes must not be seen in such a light."


Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman, head of the Justice Department's Tax Division, last week promised to beef up the government's efforts to pursue those engaged in a variety of schemes making legal assertions that income taxes are either voluntary or unconstitutional.

"For nearly a decade Snipes has engaged in a campaign of criminal tax conduct combining brazen defiance with insidious concealment," the prosecutors say. "By these means Snipes has escaped paying more than $15 million in income tax to the IRS and has pursued an intended fraudulent harm to the United States Treasury of more than $41 million."

The document says Snipes shipped millions of dollars to accounts in Switzerland, Antigua and the Isle of Man to avoid taxes.

"Given defendant's income, earning capacity, and financial resources, both disclosed and undisclosed, the United States submits that a fine of at least $5 million is warranted," the sentencing recommendation says.

The 35-page argument for the stiffest possible penalty ends with a dramatic flair.

"In the defendant Wesley Snipes, the court is presented with a wealthy, famous and inveterate tax scofflaw. If ever a tax offender was deserving of being held accountable to the maximum extent for his criminal wrongdoing, Snipes is that defendant," it says.

The IRS is also seeking repayment of all taxes and interest through civil court proceedings.

[namehunter]

He deserved it.
But...
Silly...and inefficient.
Make him pay the back taxes, with penalties, and mega amounts of public service [so he can see how freakin lucky he is]
Then let him go back to work.
We need his money to pay my social security!

I hate change too
:laff:

[AYHJA]

I don't like this 'making an example' of people shit...

3 years in jail..? That's ridiculous...We should be more empowered to know what our tax dollars are doing, and what they doing with them if they have the power to do this type of thing...Fine him, make him pay the taxes and if he can't pay, fine, send dude to jail...But wow this is ridiculous..

[Deepak]

I agree with yah. I mean first of no one is getting the taxes back and then further more by putting him in jail they are paying for his food and stay and everything with tax payer dollars which can be put to better use. So yes make him pay the taxes back with hefty penalties, that way you can use that money for better things and you will have more money than anticipated.

[AYHJA]

He's probably going to one of those pay to say Federal joints, but still...When I think about how the IRS dogged Joe Lewis, it makes me angry, and I'm sure these guys aren't the last...I wonder how much of that time he'll have to do, or if he'll get some kind of suspended sentence or something...

I still can't figure out for the life of me why he didn't just pay the fucking taxes anyway...

[Sir Jig-A-Lot]

I don't like this 'making an example' of people shit...

if you look back on history, even recent history, those words are always used in regards to a minority of some kind. i shit you not.