Actor Wesley Snipes was formally indicted Tuesday concerning tax fraud charges that allege he attempted to defraud the federal government of almost $12 million in false claims and not filing returns over a six year period.
The charges say that during 1996 and 1997 he claimed refunds of almost $12 million that were fraudalent. Also from 1999 through 2004, he filed no returns at all.
Snipes got involved with a business called American Rights Litigators who file false claims based upon the argument that only income from international sources is subject to taxation. The company received 20 percent of the refunds from their clients.
The organization is considered one created for the sole purpose of tax protest, according to U.S. Attorney Paul I. Perez. At a news conference he said, "It's a conspiracy against the IRS, basically to harass the IRS, from doing its lawful job in term of collection of taxes."
If Snipes is convicted on all charges, he could face up to 16 years in prison. He hasn't been arrested as of this writing because officials don't know where he is at this time.
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