The Celebrity Truth

A jury found Wesley Snipes guilty on three misdemeanor charges for failing to file income tax returns on Friday (February 1), with the actor facing up the three years in federal prison.

Snipes was acquitted on felony charges of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and presenting a fraudulent claim for payment to the IRS. He was also acquitted on three other charges of failing to file income tax returns. A sentencing date has not been set.

"Filing tax returns is not optional. It is a legal requirement. Mr. Snipes now faces up the three years in federal prison for his willful failure to comply with the law," said US Attorney Robert E. O’Neill.

Adds said Nathan J. Hochman, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, "The jury’s conviction of Wesley Snipes today represents the latest in a long string of criminal convictions by the Justice Department and the IRS against tax protestors. Those who unlawfully dodge their tax obligations should know that they face long prison terms and stiff financial penalties."

Snipes’ co-defendants, Eddie Ray Kahn and Douglas P. Rosile, were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and presenting a fraudulent claim for payment to the IRS. Kahn was the founder and leader of American Rights Litigators (ARL), a tax protestor organization based in Lake County. Rosile prepared returns for ARL clients, such as Snipes.

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Photo courtesy of New Line.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 1st, 2008 at 8:35 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.