Wesley Snipes to Serve 3 Years in Prison

Celebrity News November 19, 2010 AT 4:04PM
Wesley Snipes to Serve 3 Years in Prison Credit: Jim Spellman/WireImage.com

Wesley Snipes is headed straight for jail.

As ordered by a federal judge Friday, the Blade trilogy actor, 48, must surrender to authorities and immediately begin serving a three-year prison sentence for tax-related crimes, the Associated Press reports.

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Lawyers for Snipes, 48, had asked Ocala, Fl. Judge William Terrell for a new trial, which Terrell rejected.

Snipes was convicted in 2008 on three misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file his income tax returns.

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No word yet on where Snipes will be incarcerated.

"Wesley is very disappointed but staying strong and positive," Snipes' lawyer said in a statement released after the decision.

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  • November 23, 2010 - 11:05am J.B. Blank

    First off, Filomena, Snipes was convicted on MISDEMEANOR charges, not felony charges, read the article. Charlie Rangel isn't doing time for evading the tax law, so why should Snipes?

  • November 20, 2010 - 12:31pm Isaac Mihaeli

    I don't think this is a crime as any other, but he broke the tax law. However, other more influential politicians don't pay for tax evasion, because they have clout.

  • November 20, 2010 - 8:17am Filomena Araujo

    He is a classic example of what happens when rich people get a little "too" greedy with their money for their own good.

  • November 20, 2010 - 8:16am Filomena Araujo

    You do the crime, you gotta do the time. Simple as that.

  • November 20, 2010 - 8:15am Filomena Araujo

    In fact, I think the judge is being lenient on Wesley. I read about several people in the paper that were nabbed for tax evasion and the minimum some of those people got was 10 years in prison. So 3 years is a walk in the park considering the circumstances.

  • November 20, 2010 - 8:12am Filomena Araujo

    Too bad! Tax evasion is a felony folks, the dude refused to pay his taxes. If every red-blooded American has to pay taxes he's no different. Who does he think he is? SPECIAL? Nope, he didn't wanna pay his taxes even though he made millions of dollars, he should be punished. The judicial system is very fair, and the laws apply to everyone, he aint exempt from the law just because he's a celebrity. And maybe him going to jail will set an example for the rest of those Hollywood hotshots who think they are above the law!!!

  • November 19, 2010 - 9:40pm Elsa Caceres

    this is not fair...the judge was too hard 3 years? he did not hurt anybody...go after the real criminals! and then we have Paris or Lindsay who are worse ...they are into drugs...get a slap in the wrist...why is that?

  • November 19, 2010 - 6:03pm Steph Vaughn

    That just goes to show you.... if you drink and drive, do drugs, get caught with cocaine, etc. in Hollywood you get a little slap on the wrist. But if you screw with the government money, watch out buddy you are going to do hard time!!

  • November 19, 2010 - 5:50pm Lindsey Mead

    This is sad... thanks for wasting more tax dollars US judicial system.

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