In February 2008, Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $5 million for willfully failing to file millions of dollars’ worth of past tax returns.
Prosecutors said the actor had earned more than $37 million in gross income between 1999 and 2004, but had not paid any federal taxes or filed tax returns.
“The majority of Americans pay their taxes timely and accurately,” said Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman. “Those who willfully violate the law must be held accountable. There is no secret formula that eliminates a person’s tax obligations, nor are there any special exceptions. The law is very clear: people must pay their taxes.”
An anti-tax advocate, Eddie Ray Kahn, and Douglas P. Rosile, a former accountant, convinced Wesley that he didn’t owe any taxes. This led Snipes to stop filing returns, to stop paying tax he owed, and to file for refunds for millions of dollars of tax already paid.
Wesley Snipes and date during “Don’t Bungle The Jungle 2” Benefit at Amazon Village in New York City – @Getty
“I’ve asked the court to show me mercy and the opportunity to make things right,” Snipes said in the courtroom on the day of the sentence. “I apologize to my family, the court and the community. I’m very sorry for my mistakes and errors.”
Kahn and Rosile were also given prison sentences, four-and-a-half and 10 years, respectively, for the roles the two played in the tax fraud.
Assistant Attorney General O’Connor stated: “The Justice Department will vigorously investigate charges of counseling or committing tax fraud.”
1991 – @Getty
Snipes lost an appeal for a retrial in 2010.
Wesley Snipes starts prison sentence
In 2010, Snipes’ appeal was denied.
Snipes said in early December 2010 during a TV appearance on CNN’s Larry King, who asked the actor if he was nervous about going to prison: “I think any man would be nervous.” He added: “Given the length of time that they are suggesting that I be away from my family, away from my profession, away from my ability to provide for my family and for those who have depended upon me to contribute to society,”
On December 10, 2010, Wesley (prison inmate No. 43355-018) began his three-year sentence at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Lewis Run, Pennsylvania, where he was housed with roughly 290 white-collar inmates.
Wesley Snipes attends the World Premiere of “The Expendables 3” – @Getty
Snipes finishes prison time for tax evasion
After serving two and a half years, he was released early in 2013.
“I came out a clearer person,” the Blade star told The Guardian in 2020. “Clearer on my values, clearer on my purpose, clearer about my relationship with my ancestors and the great god and the great goddess above, and clearer on what I was going to do once I had my freedom back.”
It is understood that the early release is down to good behaviour on the part of Wesley Snipes.
Wesley Snipes and his wife, Nakyung “Nikki” Park – @Getty
“I understand that very clearly now, having been away from my family and loved ones for two and a half years,” he later confessed. “The biggest thing I got from it was learning the value of time and how we often squander it.”
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I am Bulgarea Candin Stefan, and I founded FamousPeopleToday.com in 2018. I’m using my bachelor’s degree in economics and 9 years of experience in blogging to guide millions of people through the incredibly complex world of celebrity net worths.