Snipes strikes a deal on tax

LOS ANGELES – Hollywood action hero Wesley Snipes, currently filming in Namibia, has struck a deal with US authorities that will 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, entertainment daily Variety reported at the weekend. The deal will also enable Snipes to continue working and travelling abroad.Snipes’s managers, The Schiff Company, would not immediately confirm the report but said they expected to make a statement shortly.”We hope to announce something soon.We will need to clear it with the lawyers first,” a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles-based management firm said.Earlier this month, federal prosecutors in Tampa, Florida, 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.Snipes (44) who is best known for the ‘Blade’ trilogy of vampire movies and films such as ‘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 12 million dollars 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’, said they were unfazed by the controversy surrounding the actor.”We are happy that he continues to turn up on set each day.If his indictment creates this amount of press it shows he’s a star,” financier Gary Smith told Variety.The deal paves the way for Snipes to appear in a new movie set in Asia next year.The movie, ‘Dragon’, sees Snipes playing an FBI agent on the trail of a druglord.Filming starts in Thailand in January, Variety reported.Nampa-AFPThe deal will also enable Snipes to continue working and travelling abroad.Snipes’s managers, The Schiff Company, would not immediately confirm the report but said they expected to make a statement shortly.”We hope to announce something soon.We will need to clear it with the lawyers first,” a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles-based management firm said.Earlier this month, federal prosecutors in Tampa, Florida, 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.Snipes (44) who is best known for the ‘Blade’ trilogy of vampire movies and films such as ‘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 12 million dollars 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’, said they were unfazed by the controversy surrounding the actor.”We are happy that he continues to turn up on set each day.If his indictment creates this amount of press it shows he’s a star,” financier Gary Smith told Variety.The deal paves the way for Snipes to appear in a new movie set in Asia next year.The movie, ‘Dragon’, sees Snipes playing an FBI agent on the trail of a druglord.Filming starts in Thailand in January, Variety reported.Nampa-AFP