Wesley Snipes faces 3 years in jail & $5m fine to serve as example

Wesley Snipes faces up to three years in jail and a fine of $5million over tax evasion charges.

In February, the Blade star was convicted of failing to file his taxes over a five year period but was expected to have negotiated a deal with prosecutors when he was acquitted of more serious charges of tax fraud and filing a false claim.

However papers filed in a Florida court on Monday suggest that prosecutors on the case are keen to make an example of the actor and have requested the presiding judge deal out the maximum possible sentence for the crime.

Attorney Robert O’Neill explained: “This case cries out for the statutory maximum term of imprisonment, as well as a substantial fine, because of the seriousness of defendant Snipes’ crimes and because of the singular opportunity this case presents to deter tax crime nationwide.”