Filed under: News, Celeb Updates, Legal
Grammy Award-winning rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man turned himself in yesterday to the Staten Island District Attorney on felony charges related to a $32,799 tax bill from 2004 to 2007.
The 38-year-old rapper-actor (born Clifford Smith) was also in hot water with the government in 2008. He owed the IRS $52,503 in payments, and, as a result, his Lincoln Navigator SUV was repossessed.
Judging from all of his debt, one would think that the ‘Soul Plane’ actor is suffering from a case of memory loss. And that just may be the case in this scenario.
“Myself, I’m a pothead,” he told the New York Daily News in March. “Sure [the tax department] sent letters to my house, saying, ‘We need this money.’ They started sending them in 2002. Here it is 2009, and I never paid this s–t because I don’t think like that!”
Although Smith may have a slight disability, district attorney Daniel Donovan claims the rapper can still face prison time.
“Taxes are the burden that all citizens share in a civil society, whether you are an ‘average Joe’ on the street or a high-profile rap artist,” he said in a statement. “Because of the alleged action of people like Mr. Smith, law-abiding citizens face higher taxes and reduced government services. Failure to properly report and pay your taxes is a crime against all citizens and will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted.”
Following his arrest on Oct. 5, Method Man was arraigned and released. He is due back in court Dec. 9. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison.
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