Federal authorities have begun to crack down on celebrities for failing to pay their taxes, the New York Times reports. Rapper Fat Joe is the latest celebrity to face prison time for tax evasion after failing to file income returns on more than $1.3 million in earnings. The rapper was sentenced and faces up to four months in a federal prison. He also has to pay a fine of $15,000.
Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Cartagena, pleaded guilty in December to two counts of failing to file with the IRS. Initially, he faced up to two years in federal prison but U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy Waldor went easy on the rapper because he paid $718,000 in back taxes before his sentencing and because of all the charity he did, the Rolling Stone reports. From 2007 to 2010, the "Lean Back" rapper did not file any returns.
"There was a lot going on in the years that I didn't file my taxes, but it was my responsibility," Fat Joe said in court.
The 42-year-old musician is not the only celebrity to face prison time after failing to report an income to the IRS. Recently singer Lauren Hill was sentenced to three months for failing to pay taxes on about $1.8 million. She plead guilty in court telling the judge that she did not pay her taxes from 2005 to 2007 because she had dropped out of the music industry to focus on raising her children. She said she had every intention to pay her taxes. Hill is supposed to report to prison on July 8, the Associated Press reports. After her prison time she will be on house arrest for three months.
Mary J. Blidge and her husband recently had a lien placed on their property after the reportedly owe more than $3.4 million in back taxes.
