Wesley Snipes Locked Up, Gets Maximum Sentence

Wesley Snipes may have been acquitted in February on felony tax fraud charges, but his conviction on three lesser counts of evasion still comes with a hefty price: The actor on Thursday (April 24) was sentenced to three years in prison and fined up to $5 million, the maximum punishment possible under federal guidelines.

Though Snipes had escaped more serious charges that he'd been part of a scheme to defraud the IRS with bogus refund claims — a jury accepted his argument that he had innocently taken bad advice by questionable advisers — prosecutors urged U.S. District Judge William Hodges in Ocala, Florida, to hand out a tough sentence for the misdemeanors, and thus demonstrate to taxpayers that no one is exempt from paying up. (The IRS says Snipes had not filed taxes at all from 1999-2004.) ''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,'' a 35-page government argument read, citing Snipes' ''brazen defiance'' of tax laws. ''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.''

Category:

News & Politics

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• wesley
• snipes
• irs
• sentence
• evasion

[andresmalagreca]

No pedían la pena máxima porque eran racistas, era para impedir que haya más gente que esquiva impuestos.

I think they were no racists when requesting the maximum sentence, it was for avoiding more tax dodgers.

[lfzdne]

You got to pay Uncle obama his dues if you make money in this country..color don't mean shit..brotherhood is out the door...what a dumb ass rich fool..I'm thinking he be wanting to go jail...missing that strange meat...wanna tag or be tagged..stick it or lick it....he ain't got no sense..Weasley Gump ...run Weasley run ...remember the movie you made "The Fugitive"...you still got time before they lock you up..run nigga run!!

[joe24fanIam]

Man i am startting to beleave the US has the lest educated people on the plant we can't read simple english any more what is so hard to understand that we can be apportioned we it comes to a direct tax....

[almartin77]

Section 1 imposes a tax on "taxable income". It also gives varying rates of tax, but does not say who is liable. Liability cannot be assumed or implied. Every tax imposed in the IRC has 3 elements. 1. the subject of the tax is identified. 2. the amount of tax is given. 3. The persons "liable" are identified. The only clearly laid statutory liability provision of subtitle "A" income taxes imposed at section 1, is section 1461. Why should anyone be surprised that it isn't them that is identified?

[layed39]

There is a reasons why it called Internal Revenue Service because they ony apply internally. 26 USC 6331(a) applies to federal employes only. Only federal employes, elected officials etc can be taxed not the average citizen. Get you IMF decoded, it will tell the truth about the records the IRS are keeping on you. The IRS manipulates there own computer to put you in a category to tax you. Per title 26 sec 6065, the IRS must also sign under penalty of perjury, but never do. if you owe, prove it.

[noladol]

Go ahead, keep being an idiot and not opening your eyes.

There is NO law requiring anyone to pay an income tax.

It's just a simple FACT.

[jxhensley]

26 US Code section 1 imposes the income tax.

26 US Code section 7203 makes nonpayment of income tax a crime.

The more unpaid taxes you rack up, the more likely the IRS is to bust you. Go ahead, make their day.