No tax deal for actor Snipes

MIAMI – Federal prosecutors denied on Tuesday that any deal had been struck with Hollywood star Wesley Snipes, currently filming in Namibia, so that he could avoid jail on tax charges.

“No agreement has been reached with him, what we are doing is we are talking to his representative and making arrangements for him to turn himself in to face the charges, because he’s out of the country,” Tampa federal prosecutors’ spokesperson Steve Cole said. “There’s no agreement, nothing negotiated about the charges,” Cole stressed.The entertainment daily Variety reported last week that action hero Snipes struck a deal with US authorities that would see him avoid a jail term for allegedly dodging millions of dollars in taxes.”The star of the ‘Blade’ vampire movies has reached an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whereby he will adhere to a payment plan in exchange for not serving a prison sentence,” Variety reported.The deal would also enable Snipes, who is currently in Namibia shooting a horror movie, to continue working and travelling abroad, Variety said.Last month, federal prosecutors in Tampa, issued an eight-count indictment accusing Snipes and two Florida men, Eddie Kahn and Douglas Rosile, of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and submitting fake claims.Snipe (44), who is best known for the ‘Blade’ trilogy of vampire movies and films such as ‘Jungle Fever’ and ‘White Men Can’t Jump’, was also accused of six separate counts of failing to file income tax returns.The indictment alleges Snipes owed around US$12 m in unpaid taxes.The conspiracy and false claim charges carry a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment each.Backers of the movie Snipes is shooting in Namibia, ‘Gallowwalker’, have said they were unfazed by the controversy surrounding the actor.Nampa-AFP”There’s no agreement, nothing negotiated about the charges,” Cole stressed.The entertainment daily Variety reported last week that action hero Snipes struck a deal with US authorities that would see him avoid a jail term for allegedly dodging millions of dollars in taxes.”The star of the ‘Blade’ vampire movies has reached an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whereby he will adhere to a payment plan in exchange for not serving a prison sentence,” Variety reported.The deal would also enable Snipes, who is currently in Namibia shooting a horror movie, to continue working and travelling abroad, Variety said.Last month, federal prosecutors in Tampa, issued an eight-count indictment accusing Snipes and two Florida men, Eddie Kahn and Douglas Rosile, of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and submitting fake claims.Snipe (44), who is best known for the ‘Blade’ trilogy of vampire movies and films such as ‘Jungle Fever’ and ‘White Men Can’t Jump’, was also accused of six separate counts of failing to file income tax returns.The indictment alleges Snipes owed around US$12 m in unpaid taxes.The conspiracy and false claim charges carry a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment each.Backers of the movie Snipes is shooting in Namibia, ‘Gallowwalker’, have said they were unfazed by the controversy surrounding the actor.Nampa-AFP