Business and economics |

After being sentenced to the maximum three years in federal prison for his convictions on tax evasion charges, Wesley Snipes vowed to appeal.

Interestingly, just before the sentence was announced, Snipes asked the court to show mercy and paid $5 million. His checks were cashed - to be applied towards the amount Snipes allegedly owes - but Snipes still received the maximum sentence.

It’s nearly impossible to tell what Snipes owes at this point. Prosecutors allege that Snipes has, over the years, hidden at least $41 million from taxing authorities, much of it overseas. Snipes’ lawyers dispute that amount, claiming that the amount actually due is less than a quarter of a million dollars (a claim that reeks a bit, considering Snipes’ $5 million payment today).

Read the rest of this entry »

Unfortunately, those judges that did say good things on Snipes’ behalf don’t really matter in this case…

Yep, TV judges Joe Brown and Greg Mathis offered character references for Wesley Snipes for his sentencing hearing.

Judge Joe Brown noted that he was writing “not as a celebrity” (good because I don’t know that I would go that far) but as a “humble citizen” and asked for leniency. He called Snipes “one of those rare individuals possessed of an extremely developed social conscience.”

Read the rest of this entry »