Celebrity Justice
IndyCar Driver/"Dancing" Champ Indicted

Helio Castroneves TMZ has learned that Helio Castroneves has been indicted for allegedly not paying taxes on more than $5 million. Castroneves was indicted today in Miami. The charges -- Conspiracy to Defraud the U.S. and Tax Evasion.

According to the indictment, Helio and two others are accused of using "an offshore Panamanian shell corporation Seven Promotions to conceal and disguise the true and correct amount of Helio Castroneves' income from the Internal Revenue Service."

Helio was indicted along with his sister, Katiucia Castroneves and Alan Miller, Helio's lawyer. The three are charged with conspiracy "for the purpose of impeding, impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful government functions of the Internal Revenue Service."

They are accused of trying to "conceal and disguise" Helio's income. One of the charges -- that Helio received $2 million in salary from a Brazilian trading company but made it appear that he only received $200,000.

The Conspiracy and Tax Evasion charges are each punishable by a maximum of 5 years in federal prison.

Castroneves is known to some as a race car driver, but recently gained wider fame by winning "Dancing with the Stars."

Reader Comments

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31. GET THE MONEY AND DEPORT THE BASTARD THATS WHAT WE HAVE LIVING IN OUR COUNTRY PEOPLE WHO DONT REPSECT OUR GOVERNMENT !

Posted at 5:37PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by MacDaddy

32. I bet Roger Penske is not a happy guy right now.

Posted at 5:44PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by Tom

33. I'll bet Penske, Honda and Target are really proud of him. What a fake bastard this guy has been. His sponsors shell out millions to give the guy a ride in Indy Car and he defrauds the US. Nice. Too bad we all can't call in and vote for the sentence he should receive.

Posted at 6:03PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by The Enforcer

34. I hate to rejoice over someone's else's troubles (Lord knows I've had enough troubles of my own) but for some reason, I can't help smiling. I just never like that guy Helio Castroneves. When he was on "DWTS" and denying that he had eyes for Julianne Hough, I just knew he was lying. I knew he was trying to tag that. She was too good for him in my opinion, and I hope they never end up together. I do have to admit that the move they made in those yellow suits were super, but still the same, I just don't like the guy, and I don't like that s-h-i-t eating grin of his. Also I was so glad that Scott Dixon beat him on the race-track. I don't wish him bad tiding with the IRS, but I'm glad to see him momentarily taken down a peg or two.

Posted at 6:07PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by dmt

35. Everyone in congress can do it and get away with it, but some other shmuck and it's curtains

Posted at 7:00PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by rangewoman

36. Now he'll be doing the horizontal mambo with his cell mate.

Posted at 7:11PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by Donna

37. My impression of this guy is that he doesn't have the brains or savvy to understand and carry off something like this of his own volition.

For the time being, I would tend to lean toward thinking he might have duped into this scheme by one or more crooked, stinking, lying, sneaky lawyers - who have no problem doing this sort of thing.

They could've sold him on the notion of "what a great idea this is," and he very well might have bought it, with no intention of wrongdoing on his part. It's happened a million times before in show bihniss and sports.

I wonder how much of his cash might been siphoned off in the process by some lowlife lawyer. Anyway, I'll at least give him the benefit of the doubt - he deserves that much.

Posted at 7:23PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by Bud

38. IDIOT!!!........

HE'LL BE DANCING WITH HIS CELL MATES.....

CHA CHA CHA!

Posted at 7:26PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by soozq

39. Abc lauded this guy. Made big scene at Indy gloating one of their DWTS fools was a big time driver. Julianna went nuts over him, she sang, Kristi Y showed up, all were intervied it was a classic s*#@ storm of false love and admiration. Thank god his ex-fiance' and him broke it off, good job Jules. I love this.

THe DWTS curse moves on.

Posted at 8:15AM on Oct 3rd 2008 by dwtsfan

40. DON'T MESS WITH UNCLE SAM'S MONEY OR HE WILL BITE YOUR SHAGGY ASS...!

Posted at 11:45PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by Seph

41. Hey "The Enforcer"...Marlboro is the Penske/Helio sponser..NOT Target
I'm giving Helio the benefit of the doubt for now...but if true, I'm extremely disappointed in one of my favorite drivers

Posted at 7:35PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by Indy Fan

42. Was Kelly Stagg-Lenehan his bookkeeper? Naw, she would have robbed him blind!

Posted at 7:42PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by Danielle

43. HEY, ISNT THIS AMERICA?? WHAT HAPPENED TO INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY?? HELIO IS A CLASS ACT AND I WOULD BE VERY DISAPPOINTED IF THIS IS TRUE, BUT GIVE HIM A BREAK, HE ISNT IN PRISON YET!!!!

Posted at 9:16PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by RACE GURL

44. Guess he didn't realize that the races and the dances are on television for all the IRS agents to see.

Posted at 8:01PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by wasted days and wasted nights

45. I swear sometimes Americans can be so rude and crude. Ya'll should be ashamed!!!

Posted at 7:54PM on Oct 2nd 2008 by CTR

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