By M&C People Apr 15, 2008, 23:38 GMT
Wesley Snipes may do jail time after all in light of his tax evasion case.
Actor Wesley Snipes Friday 08 December 2006, pleaded not guilty to tax fraud and was released on bail of one million US dollars. The star of the action movie Blade had been charged in October with fraudulently claiming some 12 million US dollars in tax refunds in 1996 and 1997 and failing to file tax returns between 1999-2004. If convicted, he faces up to 16 years in prison. EPA/PETER FOLEY
Prosecutors said Tuesday plan on throwing the book at him, recommending that he be sentenced to a three-year prison term and five-million dollar fine for his misdeameanor conviction for failing to pay taxes.
"For nearly a decade, Snipes has engaged in a campaign of criminal tax conduct, combining brazen defiance with insidious concealment," the US Department of Justice said in a statement.
A jury in February found Snipes guilty on three misdemeanor charges of failing to file income tax returns between 1999 and 2004.
Snipes was acquitted of felony charges of conspiracy to defraud, and presenting a fraudulent claim to US tax authorities.
The Justice Department announcement timing was deliberate on April 15th, the due date for all tax returns.
Snipes, 45, has had a long career starring in many action roles, including the "Blade" series.
Federal officials labeled him an "egregious tax cheat."
"In the defendant Wesley Snipes, the court is presented with a wealthy, famous, and inveterate tax scofflaw," the statement said.
"Snipes has escaped paying more than 15 million dollars in income tax to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and has pursued an intended fraudulent harm to the United States Treasury of more than 41 million dollars," the statement said.
"The multifarious nature of his schemes and the deterrence value of a substantial prison sentence for this truly notorious offender call for a full 36 months in prison."
"If ever a tax offender was deserving of being held accountable to the maximum extent for his criminal wrongdoing, Snipes is that defendant," officials said.
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