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Celebrity Justice
Wesley Gets Three Years!!!

Posted Apr 24th 2008 5:53PM by TMZ Staff

Wesley SnipesA judge has just sentenced Wesley Snipes to three years in prison for tax evasion. Forget black -- always bet on the U.S. government!

Snipes was not forced to surrender immediately. Instead, the judge ruled he could surrender at a later date, closer to his New Jersey home.

Nathan J. Hochman, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Tax Division, said, "Snipes' 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 and his co-defendants ... as inmates in prison."

Snipes was convicted in February on three misdemeanor charges for not filing his taxes. The government claimed he owed $2.7 mil -- but Snipes' attorneys argued it was just $228,000. No fine was imposed, but the three-year sentence was the max he could have gotten.


Celebrity friends Denzel Washington and Woody Harrelson wrote letters in his defense to appeal for leniency. Oh well ...



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136. Where is the Reverand Al Sharpton....all the black people in Los Angeles need to riot. Honestly I am ethnic but look white and I was raised in an all white area and in a wealthy one. As I got older I got to see how the "RULES" just arent the same for everyone. Someone has to stop all this uneccessary RACISM. I am very outraged! This same bonehead prosecutors let rapists, child molesters, and murders out on probation but somone who does not pay money gets three years. This is discusting. How about pay the money back plus interest do some community service and sentence him to a year of School on finances or make him teach inner city youth about the importance of saving and investing instead of buying new Air Jordans. I want Wesley Snipes out and I think the black community needs to speak out! I say this because I know a ton of white people who did not pay there taxes over a period of time and they just cleaned it up with some penalties and its no big deal. This has got to stop. Why do only black celebrities go to jail. Where is the example in that??...statistics will tell you the jails are already full of minorities. I am sick to my stomache. I hope the prosecutors dont sleep at night. We all have to deal with consequnces of choices we make but his is harsh. They had better hang Ellitot Spitzer then and make him to some jail time. (The Damn Hipocrate) HOwever he is White and "upscale" so that is not likely!!!!!!

Posted at 7:55PM on Apr 24th 2008 by uppercrust snob

137. so many crooks worse than this man. The world may be better where he is headed than out to deal with the world left to us now.

Posted at 8:04PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Henry Stroud

138. THIS JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY,, I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE IMPOSED A FINE AND SAVED THE BED SPACE FOR THE CHILD MOLESTERS AND THE RAPISTS...IF IT WAS TO SET AN EXAMPLE THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED SUCH AS THE ABOVE MENTIONED ...BUT WHATEVER NOT LIKE WE HAVE ANY SAY OVER THESE TAX DOLLARS IN THE FIRST PLACE .

Posted at 8:03PM on Apr 24th 2008 by IBEHONEY2U

139. To all of you out there crying racism and think the WHITE MAN is ABOVE THE LAW on tax evasion, here are just a few celebrities that MAY BE DOING, HAVE DONE, AND ARE CURRENTLY DOING time in prison for TAX EVASION!!!


Joe Francis (creator of "Girls Gone Wild" video series) Francis was indicted by a federal grand jury in Reno, Nevada on two counts of tax evasion. If convicted, Francis could face up to ten years in prison and substantial fines. The trial is set to begin on April 29, 2008.

Leona Helmsley (businesswoman) PRISON FOR TAX EVASION-SERVED 18 MONTHS

Richard Hatch (winner of "Survivor" reality TV show) CURRENTLY IN PRISON for TAX EVASION!!!

THIS IS NOT A RACE ISSUE SO STOP TRYING TO TURN IT INTO ONE! Anyone on this board that cries racism is likely someone that plays the race card all the time anyway so they aren't worth getting upset about.



Posted at 8:17PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Christine

140. it's said someone doesn't pay taxes and gets three years and out there people commit felony crimes of rape and other horrible crimes and get less. i'm not saying he shouldn't pay for paying his taxes but if we're gonna give folks 3 years for this kind of stuff we need to start getting into more middle-eastern punishments such as cutting a hand off for stealing.

Posted at 2:44AM on Apr 25th 2008 by Mike

141. I'm black and I'll say it..... Jails were initially created for people who didn't pay taxes. So yes he should have gotten some jail time, 3 years no. All I can say is if you are black and in the public eye PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! stay out of the way of Americas criminal justice system. It is now in favor of locking black men up every chance they get (look at the statistics). They will always make an example of you! Not racist that's just the way it is. I will admit we do put ourselves in these situations.

Posted at 8:07PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Nia

142. Sorry I think its too harsh.

Celebs who have drug charges, DUI get probation, comunity service and only hours in jail!

Yes, he did something wrong but nothing he did put anyone elses life in danger as other people have.

Posted at 8:07PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Christie

143. After I read Snipes's comments "I am an idealistic, naive, passionate, truth-seeking, spiritually motivated artist, unschooled in the science of law and finance," I thought, Well, buddies-Snipe probably attended to an inferior school and earned an inferior education. For those of us who did not--- We better adopt the British edu system and learn the science of law and finance. Ignorance is no excuse, says the law

Posted at 9:14PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Sharon C.

144. I'm sure he will serve about a week in the slammer then the rest of the sentence will be suspended.

Posted at 8:35PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Xenu

145. Does no one know the difference between FEDERAL and STATE CRIMES? If you don't like the government here then get the F**K out! Nothing is perfect anywhere you go. So get over it! He committed a FEDERAL CRIME!! If you don't know the difference then GO LOOK IT UP!! I DARE YOU! I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU!!!!

Posted at 8:08PM on Apr 24th 2008 by morgan

146. To suggest that Wesley Snipe's conviction and/or sentence is racist, is RACIST! He broke the law. Should the courts be easy on him because he is black or well known? I don't think so. Unfortunately, the law has been far too easy on Paris Hilton, B. Spears and numercous women, and it's a real shame. But, leniency is their cases was not because they are white, but because they are women.

Just consider the many excuses women have for getting cleared of their crimes -- PMS, Pre-PMS, Post PMS, Post Partum Depression, Battered Womens Syndrom (proven or alleged), "he made me do it", "he took advantage of me", "I had no other choice", .....

Its high time the "justice system" holds all of us equally responsible. Period..

Posted at 8:45PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Hank

147. Don't mess with Taxes...

Posted at 8:12PM on Apr 24th 2008 by chicken stripper

148. Yes.

Posted at 8:12PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Texasmortarman

149. .......... da Man takes him down.............

Posted at 8:17PM on Apr 24th 2008 by PoiseProtection

150. SOMETHING I FORGOT ON #126...

Don King – Only in America: King, who was convicted of manslaughter and pled the fifth amendment in front of the Senate when asked about his connection to John Gotti, was indicted on charges of tax evasion in 1991. A mistrial was declared, and King went on to fight another day.


NICE! You idiots crying RACISM are just that...IDIOTS!!!

Posted at 8:18PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Christine

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