Wesley Snipes gets maximum sentence
Posted by Media Outrage on April 24, 2008
Wesley Snipes has received the maximum sentence for his tax-evasion charges.
Via OMG:
Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison on tax charges Thursday, a victory for prosecutors who sought to make an example of the action star by aggressively pursuing the maximum penalty.
Snipes’ lawyers had spent much of the day in court offering dozens of letters from family members, friends — even fellow actors Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington — attesting to the good character of the “Blade” star and asking for leniency. They argued he should get only probation because his three convictions were all misdemeanors and the actor had no previous criminal record.
But U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges said Snipes exhibited a “history of contempt over a period of time” for U.S. tax laws, and granted prosecutors the three year sentence they requested — one year for each of Snipes’ convictions of willfully failing to file a tax return.
“In my mind these are serious crimes, albeit misdemeanors,” Hodges said.
Snipes apologized while reading from a written statement for his “costly mistakes,” but never mentioned the word taxes.
“I am an idealistic, naive, passionate, truth-seeking, spiritually motivated artist, unschooled in the science of law and finance,” Snipes said.
Snipes said his wealth and celebrity attracted “wolves and jackals like flies are attracted to meat.” He called himself “well-intentioned, but miseducated.”
Mediaoutrage- Dag the judge just put his freedom on pause for 1,095 days. Keep ya head up. They’re probably sending his measurements to the Jumpsuit knitting department right now. SMH.
May 23, 2008 at 1:43 pm
[...] actor was due to begin his prison sentence on June 3 after he was convicted in February of failure to file a tax return since 1998. The decision regarding his bail hinged upon [...]
June 12, 2008 at 7:32 pm
[...] being a steady parent and example. Wes is currently out on bail while a waiting an appeal to the 3 years the judge threw at him. We found these photos at everyone’s favorite place for Black Celebs [...]