Judge sentences Snipes to 3 years for tax convictions
Thursday April 24 6:04 PM ET

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.

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"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."

Snipes was the highest-profile criminal tax target in years, and prosecutors called for a heavy sentence to deter others from trying to obstruct the IRS. The government alleged Snipes made at least $13.8 million for the years in question and owed $2.7 million in back taxes.

Snipes was acquitted in February of five additional charges, including felony tax fraud and conspiracy. Snipes' co-defendants, Douglas P. Rosile and Eddie Ray Kahn, were convicted on both those counts. Kahn, who refused to defend himself in court, was sentenced to 10 years, while Rosile received 54 months. Both will serve three years of supervised release. Snipes will serve one year of supervised release.

Snipes and Rosile remain free and will be notified when they are to surrender to authorities.

Kahn was the founder of American Rights Litigators, and a successor group, Guiding Light of God Ministries, that purported to help members legally avoid paying taxes. Rosile, a former accountant who lost his licenses in Ohio and Florida, prepared Snipes' paperwork.

Snipes maintained in a years-long battle with the IRS he did not have to pay taxes, using fringe arguments common to "tax protesters" who say the government has no legal right to collect. After joining Kahn's group, the government said Snipes instructed his employees to stop paying their own taxes and sought $11 million in 1996 and 1997 taxes he legally paid.

Prosecutors sought to justify the maximum sentence by raising those and other details from the IRS investigation, as well as a tax loss even for years in which Snipes was acquitted of failing to file a return. Such "relevant conduct" is allowed by law for a judge's consideration at sentencing.

Criminal tax prosecutions are relatively rare usually the cases are handled in civil court, where the government has a lower burden of proof. Prosecutors said Snipes' case was important to send a message to would-be tax protesters not to test the government

Kahn was the founder of American Rights Litigators, and a successor group, Guiding Light of God Ministries, that purported to help members legally avoid paying taxes. Rosile, a former accountant who lost his licenses in Ohio and Florida, prepared Snipes' paperwork.

Snipes maintained in a years-long battle with the IRS he did not have to pay taxes, using fringe arguments common to "tax protesters" who say the government has no legal right to collect. After joining Kahn's group, the government said Snipes instructed his employees to stop paying their own taxes and sought $11 million in 1996 and 1997 taxes he legally paid.

Prosecutors sought to justify the maximum sentence by raising those and other details from the IRS investigation, as well as a tax loss even for years in which Snipes was acquitted of failing to file a return. Such "relevant conduct" is allowed by law for a judge's consideration at sentencing.

Criminal tax prosecutions are relatively rare usually the cases are handled in civil court, where the government has a lower burden of proof. Prosecutors said Snipes' case was important to send a message to would-be tax protesters not to test the government.

Posted by Killa4luv:

I need to know what the white threshold is for when Racism comes into play. What and when do white people believe, if ever, that blacks are treated unfairly in society. Someone please answer this for me.

Yes, I do believe Snipes' race was a factor in this. get it: 'A' factor, not the only factor.

He was convicted of 3 counts of willfully not filing his taxes and recieved the maximum sentence.

Leona Hemsley - "On August 30, Helmsley was convicted and sentenced of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States,[5] three counts of tax evasion,[6] three counts of filing false personal tax returns,[7] sixteen counts of assisting in the filing of false corporate and partnership tax returns, and ten counts of mail fraud.[9] (See United States v. Helmsley, 941 F.2d 71, 91-2 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) paragr. 50,455 (2d Cir. 1991), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 1091 (1992).)"

She was sentenced to 16 years and had it reduced to 18 months.

These are very different charges and thus far, very different outcomes. But I suppose there is nothing that will ever make most white people see that the legal system sytematically provides different outcomes for different races; in spite of the reality that it is a documented fact.

Posted by TheGame:

I am sorry but there is no way that if Snipes was white he would have gotten 3 years. He was convicted of 3 misdeameanors!! The judge ran the sentences consecutively, which is rarely done for a misdeameanor. Snipes should have gotten 6 months-1 year in prison and been made to pay the money back with penalties. 3 years is insane.

On a side note, maybe Wesley can do "Undisputed III" while in prison.

Posted by Killa4luv:

Posted by Solace:

Posted by TheGame:

I am sorry but there is no way that if Snipes was white he would have gotten 3 years. He was convicted of 3 misdeameanors!! The judge ran the sentences consecutively, which is rarely done for a misdeameanor. Snipes should have gotten 6 months-1 year in prison and been made to pay the money back with penalties. 3 years is insane.

On a side note, maybe Wesley can do "Undisputed III" while in prison.

Why does a harsh judgment instantly have to be labeled as racism? The notion utterly baffles me.

The notion that it baffles you doesn't surprise me in the least. Heres something to help you understand, you operate from the default position that the courts are just and fair towards everyone, most black people I know operate from the default position that being black in court is a factor that works against you. This black view has been an accurate account of history in this country, unless you think for the couple of hundred years we've been here, we've been getting justice from the court system. I'd ask you, why you would think race wasn't a factor? I'd say because you're white and it isn't a factor for you, so you can't understand why someone would think that way. Think about how being black has always been a factor, particularly in the court system, why would we think it isn't now? What transformation has happened that makes you think everything is all groovy?

If you want to believe that race is a factor in the court system then well just have to disagree. I personally believe that wealth is more influential. For example, you can look at the OJ Simpson, case. This guy had all the physical evidence in the world stacked against him, but because he had money he was able to hire his "dream team" and beat a double murder. If he was a poor white person from a trailer park in Ohio do you think he would have gotten off? No. Of course not, because he would have had some tool of a public defender who would tell him to plea out to a lighter sentence. He wouldnt have had an attorney who who was good enough to actually convince a jury that a couple of racist white cops (one of whom used the N word!) randomly targeted OJ Simpson for framing, brutally murdered his exwife and lover, plant blood of the victims on OJ and vice versa, planted the murder weapon and made a cut on OJ's hand that appeared to result from a stabbing motion with said murder weapon, invented a motive for the killing, and whatever other loads of evidence there was.

Money is the factor my friend! Who do you think is more likely to succeed, a white kid with two working class parents who earns a combined 50k a year, or a black kid in the same neighborhood whose parents earn 200k? If those kids get in trouble who do you think will be able to hire legal council? Who do you think will get the lighter sentence? It will be whoever has the better lawyer!

This is a country that runs on money, not race. Thats why Ive always been against afirmative action...I dont think Michael Jordans kids deserve a helping hand more than poor white kids. I think if programs exist to help people, they should be based on economic status, not race.

And Ill tell you right now why Snipes got three years. Its called pleading guilty. Its called a plea bargain, and its what he should have done. And Noone should feel sorry for him, If you and me got to pay taxes then he does to. Im guessing the Judge might have factored in his lackof remorse in the decision to place a stiff penalty.