Still Facing Lockdown, Some Of The Brotha's Prayers Go Unanswered
Black Hollywood superstar Wesley Snipes, 45, was just convicted of three misdemeanor counts of tax evasion. Although he did dodge the bullet on the felony tax fraud charges, Snipes still faces three years in federal prison for failing to file tax returns covering millions of dollars from 1999-2001.
A Florida jury of seven women and five men announced the verdict Friday afternoon, after beginning deliberations Wednesday. During the course of the trial, the veteran actor's attorneys admitted he was "dead wrong" not to have paid taxes and that he would make restitution. In so arguing, they also claimed that no fraud was perpetrated and that no trial was even necessary.
"Disagreement with the IRS is not fraud of the IRS, is not deception," argued defense attorney Robert Barnes.
When the day's session concluded on Tuesday, Snipes said outside the courthouse, "Of course you would be nervous,. You're on trial. Anybody would have a certain amount of anxiety about that. But I have a great deal of faith in the Most High and the Good Lord and the truth shall set you free. So, I'm looking forward to being free, going back to what I do best."
Snipes has starred in a wide range of roles. He displayed his martial art skilss in the Blade vampire trilogy, played a cross-dresser in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, portrayed a black man struggling with life in Disappearing Acts, Jungle Fever and New Jack City, and was a convincing fugitive in U.S. Marshals. The chocolate black man with the high voltage smile is due to be seen later this year in Gallowwalker, which was shot in the African nation of Namibia.Snipes was convicted along with his accountant and the founder of a tax-protest outfit called American Rights Litigators."The defendants know what the law is, they just don't like the law," Assistant U.S. Attorney Scotland Morris told the jury members before they went to verdict. "The defendants are tax protesters."