Blade' actor Wesley Snipes calls himself a Scapegoat in tax Fraud Case ORLANDO, Fla. - Wesley Snipes has told a newspaper columnist he is being unfairly targeted by federal prosecutors who indicted him on tax fraud charges. "It appears I'm to be the scapegoat, because there's more public interest in `celebrities gone bad' than `rich people being taken advantage of,'" Snipes wrote last weekend in an e-mail to Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell. An Oct. 17 indictment charges Snipes with fraudulently claiming refunds totaling nearly $12 million in 1996 and 1997 on income taxes already paid. The star of the "Blade" trilogy and other films was also charged with failure to file returns from 1999 through 2004. According to the indictment, Snipes had his taxes prepared by accountants with a history of filing false returns to reap payments for their clients. The firm, American Rights Litigators, would receive 20 percent of refunds from clients, according to the indictment. If convicted, Snipes, 44, faces up to 16 years in prison. "I will abide by the law, seek the protections the law affords me and, as always, seek the advice of competent council in effort to resolve this issue," Snipes wrote to the columnist. "I'm not running, I'm not a fugitive, despite the misrepresentations in the press." Snipes is said to be in Namibia filming a movie. "There is no deal that has been worked out," U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Steve Cole said in Dec. "The only thing we have discussed is coming back to face the charges." OCALA, Fla. - Wesley Snipes surrendered to authorities to face federal tax fraud charges and was released on $1 million bond Friday, two months after he was indicted in central Florida. The actor, known for films such as the "Blade" trilogy, didn't speak at a court appearance in Ocala. He went there after arriving in Orlando on a private jet Friday from the African nation of Namibia, where he has been filming "Gallow Walker," his publicist said. Snipes, 44, was charged in October with fraudulently claiming refunds totaling nearly $12 million in 1996 and 1997 on income taxes already paid. He was also charged with failure to file returns from 1999 through 2004. He will be allowed to return to Namibia to finish his film, but must return to his home in Marina del Rey, Calif., on or before Jan. 10, U.S. Magistrate Gary Jones ruled. After that, he will be required to surrender his U.S. passport and will be restricted to traveling in the continental United States. A Feb. 22 status conference was scheduled, which Snipes is not required to attend. According to the indictment, Snipes had his taxes prepared by accountants with a history of filing false returns to reap payments for their clients. The firm American Rights Litigators would receive 20 percent of refunds from clients, according to the indictment. "Gallow Walker," a cowboy movie, will be completed next week and will be released sometime next fall, said Ian Thompson, spokesman for Sheer Films, which is producing the film. Snipes' arrest wasn't expected to delay production, Thompson said.

We hope you found this article helpful.

Search for more legal news articles related to:
"Blade' actor Wesley Snipes calls himself a Scapegoat in tax Fraud Case"

Bookmark this Page!