BREAKING: Wesley Snipes Gets Three Years in Prison!
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand
This just in: Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison and fined up to $5 million for evading federal income taxes. Snipes was given the maximum penalty under the law. From the government's sentencing recommendation: "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. 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."The ruling comes despite the fact that fellow actors like Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington sent letters to the judge on behalf of Snipes. I imagine the judge briefly entertained the thought of letting Snipes off the hook based on the fact that he really liked The Great Debaters, but then came to his senses and did the right thing. Personally, I have nothing against Snipes (except for the fact that he's made me suffer through so many bad films), but if he doesn't file taxes for three years and tries to be all shady about things, while the rest of us do what we have to do, then he deserves some kind of punishment. Perhaps he can use these three years in prison to help train for Blade 4.
Thoughts? Should he get three years for not paying taxes, or is there a more fair punishment?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-24-2008 @ 6:46PM
akaison said...
Whether you are right or wrong depends on what the sentencing guidelines and the typical sentences are for defendants. It doesn't depend on how you feel.
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4-24-2008 @ 7:58PM
MCW said...
I read up on it in EW a few months ago (I'm sure they'll do a new article for next week about it now), and it was very clear in the article that he had been evading taxes. So yeah, I FEEL like he should be in jail. And the judge FELT that way too. I'm glad he's being taught a lesson, but expect him to get out of jail a whole lot sooner if that's possible. All actors do.
4-24-2008 @ 6:46PM
Kasey Johnson said...
Holy Shit.
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4-24-2008 @ 6:58PM
J. Corbin said...
He has gotten exactly what he deserved. Just because he is a movie star does not give him the right to evade taxes. It's just a shame that the maximum wasn't 20 years. LET HIM ROT IN JAIL!!!
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4-24-2008 @ 7:01PM
uforeader said...
hmmm.. i'm ok with him going to jail for 3 years if that's typical of other offenders, but the judge makes it sound like he made the sentence harsh because of the media attention. it's popular to say that celebrities get off for being famous (o.j.), but recently, celebrities have been receiving harsher treatment because of their fame (m.j., britney, etc.). how about we stick to equal justice for all?
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4-24-2008 @ 7:35PM
Lane said...
Jesus Christ! This sucks, can you imagine the horrible attention he is going to get in prison? Sounds cruel and unusual to me!
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4-24-2008 @ 8:35PM
Bob Thomas said...
As they say, If your found guilty, you'll get it in the end. And where he's going,he'll find out what it means !
4-24-2008 @ 7:46PM
brian said...
Man, if you're so ripped about Wesley not paying his taxes and you do...ever talk to AOL's parent company and check how many of their taxes they pay? You don't think Time Warnwer has found every way to not pay taxes they can? (Some legal and some...well, shell companies?)
Save your "fight the cheaters" speech for when it really means something.
This guy was wrong, yeah...and he's going to prison. But the most egregious cheaters get away with it.
And you pay. How 'bout we go after them?
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4-24-2008 @ 8:08PM
eugene said...
"Thoughts? Should he get three years for not paying taxes, or is there a more fair punishment?"
Wow, can you possibly write a more biased article? Wesley snipes got the sentence he did because he dragged this fight on, refused to show up and generally acted like he was above the law. He got exactly what he deserved.
Now lets go after all the other fat cats who find ways of getting out of their taxes. For too long the tax burden in this country has been steadily shifted towards the middle class and the poor, it's time to take our country back.
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4-24-2008 @ 9:05PM
mastermindo said...
Well, technically, there isn't a federal law in the US that requires its citizens to pay federal income tax. Do some research...there is no law. So, the fact that poor lil Snipes is getting thrown in the slammer is unlawful. However, it does make me sleep better at night knowing that we won't have to be subjected to another craptacular Blade movie.
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4-24-2008 @ 10:24PM
eugene said...
No, you're wrong. This whole argument stems from the use of the word "voluntary" in the 1040 instructions and in a Supreme Court case. But the word voluntary in this case doesn't mean "it's up to you" but rather that the individual gets to figure out how much he owes the government rather than the government sending you a tax bill every year or however often.
There are other tax fraud schemes out there.. like, only foreigh income is taxable, or only DC is techinically "america". All of which is false.
I blame conservative and christian talk radio shows for propagating most of this crap. My dad is an avid listener of these stations and every weekend (it seemed like) there was some "tax expert" teaching people these tax fraud schemes.
I find it so laughable because even jesus tells his disciples to "give unto caesar what is caesar's."mathew 22:21... it's supposed to your duty as a christian to pay your taxes, to be lawful citizens, and yet these shows which espouse "christian and family values" are there spreading not just dis-information but actively telling people to cheat the government.
4-24-2008 @ 11:30PM
Ray said...
Ironically, that's the same deeply flawed argument that failed to keep Wesley Snipes out of prison.
4-25-2008 @ 2:27AM
Grayheck said...
Wow! Don't you think they are going a little overboard sentencing him to a SUPERMAX prison? Come on...this guy is an ACTOR:
http://www.socoolaz.com/article.cfm?articleID=30209
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4-25-2008 @ 11:24AM
Adam E said...
II guess he didn't "Bet on black!"
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4-25-2008 @ 5:08PM
stuckatmydesk said...
And he's ready for his big comeback role which will be...http://www.holytaco.com/2008/04/24/wesley-snipes-goes-to-jail/
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4-25-2008 @ 10:08PM
Batzarro(A.K.A Rap-Rock Cameo) said...
Simon Says: Pay your damn taxes!
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6-29-2008 @ 6:39PM
wildbassman said...
I think if he pays the money back that should be the end of it. Every bit of this stuff is about money , you can believe that or don't but senators get out of Huge Bad checks that are definately felonious in nature like 20k or bigger bounced checks, Go write a check like that , I dare you , your going to jail ..... UNLESS..... you can pay it back and all the fees then they will let you walk right out like a star , even make it so it dont show up on your record.... I know this from experiance in the past.
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