Wesley Snipes gets rid of the tax fraud
Wesley Snipes gets rid of the tax fraudSource
Wesley Snipes’ attorneys admitted his ideas were crazy — that Americans have no obligation to pay taxes and the IRS cannot legally collect them.
But the star of the “Blade” vampire trilogy was the victim of crooked advisers, promoters of the tax protest movement, they argued, and a jury apparently agreed.
Snipes was acquitted Friday of federal tax fraud and conspiracy, but jurors found him guilty on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return.”There was no intent to defraud anybody — he’s not a fraudster, he’s not a felon,” defense attorney Robert Barnes said. “There’s a couple of returns he should have filed. He’ll be looking to make amends on anything he needs to make amends on.”
Snipes faces up to three years in prison, and is still liable for millions in taxes likely to be pursued in civil court. He had faced up to 16 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Snipes paid taxes in the 1990s, but changed his mind after meeting Kahn, prosecutors said. He refused to file tax returns from 1999-2004, during which he signed two contracts for more than $10 million on “Blade” sequels, they said.Snipes used bizarre arguments to justify his position, saying the IRS’ own code meant income earned in this country wasn’t taxable, and the agency had no legal authority because it’s not a proper government entity.
The actor sat emotionless as the verdict was read, then nodded as his lawyer gave him a congratulatory pat on the leg. Afterward, he refused to talk to reporters who camped outside the courthouse for three days as jurors deliberated.
Written by roxana on February 4th, 2008 with
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