Snipes Gets 3 Years for 'Costly Mistakes'- Don't Make The Mistake Of Not Hiring a Long Island Lawyer
After haggling with revenue agents, criminal investigators and eventually U.S. prosecutors for almost a decade, Wesley Snipes finally caught them by surprise
Hours before he was to be sentenced Thursday for failing to file income taxes he insisted he never had to pay, the action star cut the federal government three checks for $5 million, delivered in court.
So taken aback were prosecutors that they first declined the cash. But by the end of the day, the government took the money and more — a maximum three-year sentence for its highest-profile criminal tax target in decades.
"The sentencing court sends the right message to the American taxpayer — you've got to pay your taxes," U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill told reporters outside the usually quiet central Florida courthouse. "Rich, poor, it doesn't matter. We all pay our taxes."
Though Snipes was convicted of three counts of willfully failing to file returns, his trial was held by some as proof of victory for the tax protest movement. Snipes was acquitted of five other charges, including felony tax fraud and conspiracy, that would've exposed him to 13 more years in prison.
If you or a family member is in a similar position, make sure to have a Nassau County Lawyer at your side. You must have someone who is able to represent you and make sure that all your rights are protected.
District Judge William Terrell Hodges said Snipes exhibited a "history of contempt over a period of time" for U.S. tax laws.
"In my mind these are serious crimes, albeit misdemeanors," Hodges said.
The firm of Stephen Bilkis & Associates with convenient locations helps people throughout the Metropolitan Area including Oceanside, Long Island, and can be of invaluable assistance to you if you find yourself a defendant in a criminal action. Facing charges without professional representation could lead to disastrous results
