Wesley Snipes sentenced to three years in prison

From Daily News (I don't know so much about serious news in english)

Wesley Snipes gets 3 years for tax convictions

By Leo Standora
Daily News Staff Writer

Updated Friday, April 25th 2008, 12:44 AM

Wesley Snipes, whose karate-chopping, vampire-killing film character always came out on top, got a three-year sentence - the max - for willfully failing to file tax returns.

Florida federal Judge Terrell Hodges threw the book at the 45-year-old action star despite three dozen letters from friends, relatives and fellow actors, including Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington, attesting to his good character.

The judge also ignored a plea from Snipes' lawyers to keep the twice-divorced father of five - ages 1 to 19 - out of jail for the sake of his kids.

"The youngest will cry themselves to sleep, not understanding why their father is no longer there to love them," they said.

But prosecutors said Snipes' long sentence "should send a loud and crystal-clear message to all tax defiers."

They said he tried to conceal $41 million in offshore accounts, falsely applied for tax refunds and bombarded the IRS with frivolous correspondence.

Prosecutors said Snipes failed to pay $15.6 million in income taxes over six years.

"If ever a tax offender was deserving of being held accountable to the maximum extent for his criminal wrongdoing, Snipes is that defendant," prosecutor Robert O'Neill said.

The actor read a statement, apologizing for his "costly mistakes," but never mentioned taxes.

"I am an idealistic, naive, passionate, truth-seeking, spiritually motivated artist, unschooled in the science of law and finance," Snipes said.

Snipes' co-defendants Eddie Ray Kahn and Douglas Rosile were sentenced respectively to 10 years, and four years and six months.

Khan is founder and leader of American Rights Litigators, a Florida tax protester group, and Rosile prepared returns for ARL clients, such as Snipes.

In addition to the "Blade" series, Snipes, who was born in Florida and raised in the Bronx, appeared in more than 50 films, including "White Men Can't Jump," "Jungle Fever" and "Passenger 57."



Well, big question is, did he really charge the taxes or did he just made a mistake. So or so, it's always interesting how much rich people fail to pay their taxes. Hopefully Serj pays his taxes and doesn't just complain about them.

that one i knew some long time ago. they knew he didnt pay taxes and there was said that if he will be catched he will be jailed for 3 years. he was filming, so that was not so hard to find him. at last. damn, these dudes gets so much and we pay taxes even for them. he should get 10 years.
i think, he was haunted for a long and did not say anything, so there is no mistakes. he just does as many of these loosers do.

Yeah, can I piss you off, normal workers pay their taxes automatically, every month it goes from your payings and those really rich people who have millions on their bank accounts piss their pants because a few millions and try to betray the state.

yeah. you know how much Valentino Rossi has to pay? he didnt pay since 2001 and they found it out, so now he has to pay 19 millions. what for? because he thought he will just hide and save money for pension time. damn it... he gets in year 14 millions... 7 years he didnt pay, so its about 3 millions per year... damn, without taxes he wouild get 10 millions. is it too less?? its funny...

yeah!