Cristiano Ronaldo Charged with Tax Fraud, Faces Prison Time

Cristiano Ronaldo -- the most famous athlete in the world -- has been hit with criminal charges in Spain for allegedly scheming to screw the government out of millions of dollars.

Officials in Spain have filed a complaint against the Real Madrid star accusing him of stiffing the Spanish tax man out of more than $16 million between 2011 and 2014.

In fact, officials say Ronaldo set up shell companies (based in the British Virgin Islands) as a "screen" to keep the money from Spain's Tax Office.

If convicted on all charges, Ronaldo could get a 5 year prison term -- though it's unlikely he'll serve a single minute behind bars as a first time non-violent offender.