Wesley Snipes Tax Fraud
On April 24, 2008, actor Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $5 million dollars after being convicted on three misdemeanor accounts of tax fraud.
On May 21, 2008, a judge ordered Snipes bail until his appeal process is complete. The length of the appeal process could possible equal the amount of time Snipes was ordered to spend in prison.
Fast Facts:
- Originally arrested: December 8, 2006
- Trial began: January 14, 2008
- Claims he didn't know it was illegal
- Claimed refunds from 1996-2006
- February 1, 2008 he received an acquittal from his conspiracy to commit tax fraud and filing a false claim charges, and misdemeanors of willful failure to file a tax return
- Convicted of three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return
- Faces 3 years in prison
Background
Snipes was arrested in 2006.
The federal government claimed that he had not paid his taxes from 1999 to 2004 and owed the IRS upwards of $40 million.
Snipes was acquitted of the more serious felony charges of conspiracy to defraud the government, but was sentenced the maximum possible penalty of the misdemeanors of which he was convicted.
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