Celebrity action star Wesley Snipes was found not guilty to federal tax fraud and conspiracy charges, but was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return.
According to
The Huffington Post, Snipes faced up to 16 years in prison if he were convicted on all charges, but now may only get up to three years. Snipes and two co-defendants had been indicted back in 2006 after Snipes had stopped paying, using tax potest arguments rejected by the court. Snipes showed no emotion once the verdict was read, but nodded in relief. He refused to talk to any reporters after the verdict, but is still liable for millions in taxes likely to be pursued in civil court.
Defense attorney Robert Bernhoft said
Mr. Snipes has always been committed to doing the right thing, and after this trial is over he'll make whatever amends are required. But this is a man of integrity.
The government said that Sniped has failed to pay taxes from 1999 to 2004 when he signed 2 contracts for more than $10 million on sequels for the "Blade" trilogy. Snipes has been considered one of the most famous targets of the IRS and his prosecution was key to the government.
US attorney Robert O'Neil said
We thought there was sufficient evidence for a conviction on all counts, but obviously the jury disagreed.
The judge and jury has long rejected Snipes' ideas on taxes, but there were exceptions. The IRS bears a unique burden of proof on criminal tax cases. There must be proof shown only that someone had broken the law, but Snipes did so with willful, bad purpose to defraud the government.
Several defendants had won acquittal because the jury thought they believed they didn't have to pay.
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