Wesley Snipes Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Actor Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison--the maximum penalty prosecutors were seeking--for tax evasion on Thursday.

According to TMZ, "Snipes was convicted in February on three misdemeanor charges for not filing his taxes."

He was sentenced to three years for misdemeanors!! That seems sorta excessive.

"Nathan J. Hochman, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Tax Division, said, 'Snipes's long prison sentence should send a loud and crystal clear message to all tax defiers that if they engage in similar tax defier conduct, they face joining him ... as inmates in prison.'"

The government claimed Snipes owed $2.7 mil -- but Snipes's attorneys argued it was just $228,000.*

"Despite the discrepancy, Snipes offered the government three checks totaling $5 million--prior to sentencing--in unpaid taxes over several years. The government first denied, then later accepted his offer. [SFGate] Prosecutors called it "grandstanding" to avoid jail time, and a mere down payment on the actor's still-undetermined multimillion dollar tax bill."

Denzel Washington,Woody Harrelson and Judge Joe Brown served as three of Snipes's character witnesses, writing leniency letters in his defense.

Snipes will remain free until he is notified to surrender to authorities.

He has no previous criminal record.

Obviously he is going to appeal.

Man, the federal government doesn't kid around.

Image via Reuters/ Scott Audette.
Info. courtesy TMZ and [AP]. Read either for further 4-1-1. The [AP] article is more informative just so you know.

Do you think the system is making an example of Snipes because he's famous? Do you think there's a racial component to the ruling? Or, do think he received a fair sentence?


*TMZ is the only source I found saying Snipes's lawyers contend he owes only $228,000, so I don't know accurate that figure is.

And NYT is saying Snipes might have to pay as much as $17 million in back taxes.