DMX gets one year jail term for tax fraud
Thu Mar 29, 2018 09:22:am Entertainment
3.8K By franklyn Anude
American rapper, Earl Simmons known by his stage name DMX, has been sentenced to jail for a year by a US federal judge for tax fraud, after pleading guilty to evading $1.7 million in US tax payments last November.
The 47-year-old rapper and actor, was also order by the judge to pay the sum of $2.3 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Prosecutors had argued that DMX failed to pay tax liabilities of $1.7 million, between 2002 and 2005 and avoided paying taxes by living on cash, without maintaining a bank account or filing required returns to the IRS.
They said that taxes on the sum of $2.3 million, he earned between 2010 and 2015 were also not paid. They added that the rapper even threatened to quit his position on reality TV show "Couples Therapy" when the payroll department deducted taxes from his cheques.
Geoffrey Berman, a Manhattan US Attorney said the defendant stole from taxpayers.
He said, "Today's sentence shows that star power does not entitle people to a free pass... We will vigorously enforce our tax laws to make sure that people pay their fair share".
DMX is no stranger to issues with the law as he has faced frequent legal problems on charges that include animal cruelty, drug possession and failure to pay child support over the span of his career.
He faced a potential five year sentence but got sentenced to jail for one year with three years' supervised release.
The 47-year-old rapper and actor, was also order by the judge to pay the sum of $2.3 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Prosecutors had argued that DMX failed to pay tax liabilities of $1.7 million, between 2002 and 2005 and avoided paying taxes by living on cash, without maintaining a bank account or filing required returns to the IRS.
They said that taxes on the sum of $2.3 million, he earned between 2010 and 2015 were also not paid. They added that the rapper even threatened to quit his position on reality TV show "Couples Therapy" when the payroll department deducted taxes from his cheques.
Geoffrey Berman, a Manhattan US Attorney said the defendant stole from taxpayers.
He said, "Today's sentence shows that star power does not entitle people to a free pass... We will vigorously enforce our tax laws to make sure that people pay their fair share".
DMX is no stranger to issues with the law as he has faced frequent legal problems on charges that include animal cruelty, drug possession and failure to pay child support over the span of his career.
He faced a potential five year sentence but got sentenced to jail for one year with three years' supervised release.
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