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OCALA, Fla. -- A federal judge has sentenced action star Wesley Snipes to the maximum three-year sentence on tax charges.

Prosecutors had requested three years, one year for each of Snipes' convictions of willfully failing to file a tax return.

Snipes' lawyers offered three dozen letters from family members, friends and even fellow actors Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington attesting to his good character. They argued he should get only probation, because all three convictions were misdemeanors and the actor had no previous criminal record.

The sentencing lasted the entire morning without a decision. A jury found Snipes guilty in February of willfully failing to file taxes for three years, in which the government said he owed $2.7 million.

The actor's attorneys said the government's sentencing guidelines weren't fair for tax convictions like his. They wanted him let off with no prison and no fine.

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Snipes maintained in a years-long battle with the IRS he did not have to pay taxes, using fringe arguments common to "tax protesters" who say the government has no legal right to collect. After joining Kahn's group, the government said Snipes instructed his employees to stop paying their own taxes and sought $11 million in 1996 and 1997 taxes he legally paid.
Prosecutors sought to justify the maximum sentence by raising those and other details from the IRS investigation, as well as a tax loss even for years in which Snipes was acquitted of failing to file a return. Such "relevant conduct" is allowed by law for a judge's consideration at sentencing...

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ORIGINAL: Alumbrado

Here's one with a bit more detail...

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Snipes maintained in a years-long battle with the IRS he did not have to pay taxes, using fringe arguments common to "tax protesters" who say the government has no legal right to collect. After joining Kahn's group, the government said Snipes instructed his employees to stop paying their own taxes and sought $11 million in 1996 and 1997 taxes he legally paid.
Prosecutors sought to justify the maximum sentence by raising those and other details from the IRS investigation, as well as a tax loss even for years in which Snipes was acquitted of failing to file a return. Such "relevant conduct" is allowed by law for a judge's consideration at sentencing...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080424/ap_en_mo/snipes_tax_trial;_ylt=An0.wMfyT25iDuqNrGCafRzK.nQA

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ORIGINAL: Level

No, it was quite brief. I'll see if I can dig up something more on it.
 
http://www.ocala.com/article/20080424/NEWS/539054490/1001/NEWS01&title=Actor_Wesley_Snipes_sentenced_to_3_years_in_prison
 
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/other/display.var.2224374.0.Snipes_is_jailed_for_three_years_over_tax_evasion.php

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/25/2227250.htm?section=entertainment

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

It's unfortunate that Snipes got mixed up with fraudsters but he did break the law, incite others to break the law and attempted to defraud the US government. Maybe this will give pause to the next guy who starts reading the BS the tax evaders put out.

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ORIGINAL: subfever

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alumbrado

Here's one with a bit more detail...

quote:


Snipes maintained in a years-long battle with the IRS he did not have to pay taxes, using fringe arguments common to "tax protesters" who say the government has no legal right to collect. After joining Kahn's group, the government said Snipes instructed his employees to stop paying their own taxes and sought $11 million in 1996 and 1997 taxes he legally paid.
Prosecutors sought to justify the maximum sentence by raising those and other details from the IRS investigation, as well as a tax loss even for years in which Snipes was acquitted of failing to file a return. Such "relevant conduct" is allowed by law for a judge's consideration at sentencing...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080424/ap_en_mo/snipes_tax_trial;_ylt=An0.wMfyT25iDuqNrGCafRzK.nQA

Hmm... too bad the case played out as it appears to have been. I found myself hoping that he had been communicating with Sherry Peel Jackson, and decided to move forward with her ideas.

http://www.sherrypeeljackson.com/

quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen
...to defraud the US government.

quote:

ORIGINAL: subfever

quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen

quote:

ORIGINAL: subfever

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alumbrado

Here's one with a bit more detail...

quote:


Snipes maintained in a years-long battle with the IRS he did not have to pay taxes, using fringe arguments common to "tax protesters" who say the government has no legal right to collect. After joining Kahn's group, the government said Snipes instructed his employees to stop paying their own taxes and sought $11 million in 1996 and 1997 taxes he legally paid.
Prosecutors sought to justify the maximum sentence by raising those and other details from the IRS investigation, as well as a tax loss even for years in which Snipes was acquitted of failing to file a return. Such "relevant conduct" is allowed by law for a judge's consideration at sentencing...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080424/ap_en_mo/snipes_tax_trial;_ylt=An0.wMfyT25iDuqNrGCafRzK.nQA

Hmm... too bad the case played out as it appears to have been. I found myself hoping that he had been communicating with Sherry Peel Jackson, and decided to move forward with her ideas.

http://www.sherrypeeljackson.com/

Jackson's BS is pretty standard tax evader BS. Snipes spouted roughly the same crap and got 3 years with his co-conspirators getting 5 and 10 years.

From what I could find real fast it looks like Jackson will be doing hard time herself real soon.

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