Wesley Snipes arrested in US
2006-12-08 18:04
Orlando - Wesley Snipes surrendered to authorities on Friday on tax fraud charges, two months after he was indicted, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.
Snipes flew into an Orlando airport on a private jet and voluntarily surrendered, said the official, who confirmed the arrest on the condition of anonymity because it hadn't been announced publicly. Snipes was to appear in federal court in Ocala on Friday morning, the official said.
Snipes was charged in October with fraudulently claiming refunds totalling nearly $12m 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% of refunds from clients, according to the indictment.
The 44-year-old actor has said he is a scapegoat and was unfairly targeted by prosecutors, and has suggested he was taken advantage of. A publicist for Snipes didn't return a phone message Friday.
If convicted, he faces up to 16 years in prison.
- AP