openentrance – What’s Really Going OnWhat’s Really Going On

Well I guess the court decided to let the king of trash action movies continue on because Wesley Snipes has been granted permission to leave the U.S. to work abroad.  As Open Entrance previously reported the troubled Blade star was handed a three-year prison sentence in April after officials found him guilty of failing to file taxes for five years.

Currently free on appeal, Snipes filed a motion last month begging Florida federal judge William Terrell Hodges to allow him the work opportunity.  Snipes has now been approved to fly to London for three days later this month to finish work on ‘Gallowwalker,’ and he will spend another eight weeks in Bangkok, Thailand to shoot ‘Chasing The Dragon.’

Troubled Hollywood star Wesley Snipes is begging a judge to let him leave the U.S. so he can shoot  movies in Britain and Thailand, while he is appealing his conviction for tax fraud.

The Blade star was handed a three-year prison sentence in April after officials found him guilty of failing to file taxes for five years. The 45-year-old is currently free on appeal, and has filed paperwork requesting permission to shoot Gallowwalker in London and Chasing The Dragon in Bangkok, insisting the money he earns from the two projects will “satisfy his civil tax liabilities”.

In court documents, filed on Wednesday, Snipes’ lawyer Daniel Meachum insists the actor is not a flight risk because “were he to abscond under these circumstances, it would destroy his ability to earn a living for the rest of his life.”  But Snipes’ request may be hampered by the fact the movie star failed to return to America immediately after charges were brought against him in 2006.  At the time he was filming Gallowwalker in Namibia.

Maybe the judge is doing moviegoers a favor by not allowing him to leave the country to shoot the movie.  I’m thinking the court is tired of the mess he keeps putting on the big screen and they figure this is a way to slow it down, if not stop it.  On behalf of former Nino Brown fans everywhere…THANK YOU!

The US Attorney’s Office is working very, very hard to have Wesley Snipes in police custody. In April, Wesley was handed a 3 year sentence after being found guilty for failing to file his taxes over 5 years. Snipes is currently out on bail as his attorney’s work the appeal process to have the case overturned. Judge William Terrell Hodges ruled the ” court is persuaded by the history of the case and all of the attendant circumstances that the defendant poses no substantial risk of flight and does not constitute a danger of any kind if he remains at liberty pending appeal”.

Prosecutors are furious and have filed their own request to have Wesley surrender himself to police. Steve Cole, the spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, says, “We want him in custody. He’s been convicted by a jury. He has been sentenced to three years and he should be in custody.”

Chill out Steve Cole…you know the process. The system is what it is, especially in regards to white collar crimes. I am sure this appeal process will last for a while, Wesley may not see prison for another year or so, if ever. I still believe Snipes actions are very irresponsible and it is important to file taxes for the good of all people living in the US.  

 

 

   

The US government has sent Wesley Snipes a bill for $200,000 to recoup costs for legal fees to convict him on tax evasion chargers. Bad, bad news, as the actor already owes 3 million in unpaid taxes + was handed a 3 year sentence in April after officials found him guilty of not paying taxes over the past 5 years. Our government states the bill relates to  to the huge amount of administration work that went into sorting out Snipes’ financial records. Snipes will also have to pay the expense costs of the 13 key witnesses who had to testify at his trial. Wesley is currently free on bail while his defense team works to overturn his convictions.

Now you talk about some bad luck and being irresponsible…PEOPLE, please file and pay your taxes or you will end up in the same boat as Nino Brown. 

Wesley Snipes claims his race has worsened prosecution for his present tax problems.

In a June 4 motion to dismiss an indictment on federal charges of tax evasion, the African-American actor’s attorneys claimed prosecutors filed additional charges against Snipes and not two other, Caucasian defendants.

The October 17 indictment charges Snipes with fraudulently claiming refunds totalling nearly $12 million in 1996 and 1997 for income taxes already paid. The 44-year-old actor is also charged with failure to file income tax returns from 1999 through 2004.

According to the indictment, his income tax preparers have a history of filing false returns to reap illegal payments for their clients.

A federal judge is still considering the motions.

Is this a good time to pull the race car…I don’t know?! Let’s just hope the judge didn’t waste 2 hours of his life watching One Night Stand (and some of Snipes’ other movies). If so, he can chalk this one up in the ‘L’ column.