Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years in jail by a Florida judge for not filing taxes for at least three years. This was the maximum sentence that could be given. Snipes argued that the IRS “is not a properly established government agency.” Snipes also claimed he “was personally not subject to taxation because he was a ‘stateless person’ or ‘nonresident alien,'” or a “‘nontaxpayer,'” which prosecutors flatly rejected. In other words, “special.” Letters from Denzel Washington, Woody Harrelson and Judge Joe Brown extolling his virtues didn’t help either.
“In sum, Snipes’ willful [sic] refusal to file income tax returns is far from a ‘garden variety’ tax offense,” the prosecutors wrote. “Snipes’ nearly decade-long campaign against the IRS has combined brazen tax-defier tactics with sophisticated concealment of income and assets.”
The government hates when you steal money from them. Especially when it amounts to $13 million. In any other case, if you’re a celebrity and live in SoCal, they treat you like a king. For example, Richie Sambora drove drunk with his daughter in the car and instead of charging him with child endangerment, I’m pretty sure the judge blew him.