Wesley Snipes to Appeal 3-Year Term; Case a Warning to Others
Three consecutive one-year prison terms might seem like a hefty price to pay for misdemeanor convictions for failing to file a tax return. But when the defendant is a famous Hollywood actor who allegedly failed to pay millions in taxes, the public needs to see that justice is being done, prosecutors contended in the case of Wesley Snipes.
And the judge agreed, sentencing the 45-year-old action star yesterday in Ocala, Fla., to the maximum allowable three-year prison term. It is unclear from news reports whether Snipes has been fined the $5 million that prosecutors had sought as well. However, several hours before yesterday’s sentencing, Snipes had several checks totaling $5 million delivered to the court, reports the Associated Press. “So taken aback were prosecutors that they first declined the cash. But by the end of the day, the government took the money and more—a maximum three-year sentence for its highest-profile criminal tax target in decades.”
Snipes reportedly plans to appeal the sentence; his lawyers had sought probation for the first-time offender and presented testimonials from other Hollywood celebrities, as well individuals who work for Snipes, about his many positive characteristics. However, the government portrayed Snipes as a high-profile willful violator who needed to be severely punished to send a message to others. (Snipes had originally been charged with more serious felony tax counts, too, but was acquitted on Feb. 1 of all but the three misdemeanors.)
“Prosecutors estimated that Snipes failed to pay $15.6 million in income taxes over six years. He hid millions of dollars in offshore accounts and threatened U.S. government employees, including one who rejected a $4 million refund claim as frivolous, the government said in court papers,” Bloomberg reports.
Including penalties, the amount of unpaid taxes tops $20 million, according to the Age, an Australian newspaper. It describes the $5 million delivered to the court yesterday as a payment to the Internal Revenue Service.
Additional coverage:
BBC: “How action hero Snipes hit trouble”
ABC News: “Wesley Snipes Slammed With 3 Years in Prison”
