In a stunning turn of events, he-man half-vampire* actor Wesley Snipes was sentenced yesterday to three years in federal prison. Snipes hasn't filed a tax return since 1999, which apparently is seen as a "problem." Actually, as it turns out, it's more along the lines of a "crime." He had been convicted of three misdemeanor counts for willfully refusing to file returns. Prosecutors argued (successfully) that the judge should throw the book at him, since he spent the better part of ten years alternately evading and antagonizing the authorities, and his acquittal on felony charges was seen by some as a vindication of his tactics.
There's a definite "Render unto Caesar" aspect to all this, as well as a powerful reminder that the IRS should be at the top of any one's list of people not to have miffed at you. Having had a run-in with IRS myself (about 20 years ago, and driven by ignorance rather than protest), I can attest to the fact that you really don't want to mess around with this stuff. It mystifies me that anyone could engage them the way Snipes and his advisers did, and expect an outcome other than several years spent eating your meals from a metal tray.
*Just for the sake of clarification, Snipes played a half-vampire in the Blade series. There is no credible evidence that he is half-vampire in real life.
"A man is not really convinced of a philosophic theory when he finds that something proves it. He is only really convinced when he finds that everything proves it." -G.K. Chesterton
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