Here is word of warning – just don’t mess with the Internal Revenue Service! They got Al Capone when no one else could and now, they got Wesley Snipes. That is right – it looks as if actor Wesley Snipes is headed to jail for three years for failing to file federal tax returns. He received his sentencing today. In addition to the three years (which was the maximum sentence possible under federal guidelines), he will be fined up to $5 million. Ouch.
Snipes had been charged with felony conspiracy counts, saying he participated in a scheme that rejects the legality of the tax system in the U.S. Prosecutors said, “For nearly a decade, Snipes has engaged in a campaign of criminal tax conduct combining brazen defiance with insidious concealment. 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.”
However, the jury only found him guilty of three misdemeanor counts of failure to file federal income tax returns. He told the jury he was tricked by his advisors, despite the fact that documents accused Snipes of sending millions of dollars to banking accounts in Switzerland, Antigua, and the Isle of Man to avoid paying taxes on it.
Wow, if three years and $5 million dollars is the lesser charge, I wonder how long he would have been jailed for the felony conspiracy counts? At any rate, some in the media is saying the three misdemeanor counts are a “victory” for Snipes.
The Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman has said the government plans to crack down on people who are saying that the payment of taxes is either voluntary or unconstitutional. As if to add insult to injury, the IRS plans to see that Snipes repays all taxes and interest through civil court proceedings.