Wesley Snipes, the Hollywood action star (Blade, 7 Seconds, Demolition Man, The Marskaman…), has been sentenced to the maximum three-year sentence for not filing tax returns.Prosecutors had requested the sentence, one year for each of Snipes's convictions, saying the star of Blade and Demolition Man had “engaged a campaign of criminal tax conduct, combining brazen defiance with insidious concealment”, telling the US District Court in Florida he failed to pay at least $2.7 million in taxes.
Snipes, 45, offered more than 25 letters from family members, friends and even fellow actors Woody Harrelson and Oscar winner Denzel Washington, attesting to his good character.
They argued he should get only probation, because all three convictions were misdemeanours and the actor had no previous criminal record.
But Judge William Terrell Hodges said Snipes exhibited a “history of contempt over a period of time” for US tax laws.
“In my mind these are serious crimes, albeit misdemeanors,” Judge Hodges said.
Snipes apologised 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, adding that he was “well-intentioned, but miseducated”.
His wealth and celebrity attracted “wolves and jackals like flies are attracted to meat”.
Snipes was acquitted in February of five additional charges, including felony tax fraud and conspiracy. But his co-defendants, Douglas P. Rosile and Eddie Ray Kahn, were found guilty and sentenced to 54 months and 10 years respectively.
Kahn was the founder of American Rights Litigators, and a successor group, Guiding Light of God Ministries, which purported to help members legally avoid paying taxes. Rosile, a former accountant who lost his licences in Ohio and Florida, prepared Snipes's paperwork.
Prosecutors said that after joining Kahn's group, Snipes instructed his employees to stop paying their own taxes and sought refunds of $11 million (£5.5 million) in taxes he had already paid.
During a year-long battle with tax authorities, Snipes maintained he did not have to pay taxes, using arguments common to “tax protesters” who say the government has no legal right to collect taxes.
Snipes was prosecutors' highest-profile criminal tax target in years. They said his case was important to send a message to would-be tax protesters not to test the government.
Snipes will be told when he must surrender to authorities to begin serving his sentence.
