# Those federal blood-suckers took down Blade!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 25, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786 "2008-04-25T01:47:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/1 "2008-04-25T01:47:07Z")

</div>

[Snipes jailed three years for tax evasion.](http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2276261,00.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/2 "2008-04-25T03:41:33Z")

</div>

I guess that’s the price you pay for being a wanker.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/3 "2008-04-25T04:19:30Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Siam Sam]  
I guess that’s the price you pay for being a wanker.  
[/QUOTE]

Seems fair – one year for every _Blade_ movie. I hope he can get time-off credit for _Passenger 57_, though. That was badass.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/4 "2008-04-25T07:01:59Z")

</div>

I’ve never understood why people think that they can blatantly screw around with the IRS and get away with it, at least where real money is involved.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/5 "2008-04-25T07:39:07Z")

</div>

Is he going to actually serve time? Does the Celebrity Exemption apply? Maybe that is only in California law.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/6 "2008-04-25T07:45:46Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi]  
Is he going to actually serve time? Does the Celebrity Exemption apply? Maybe that is only in California law.  
[/QUOTE]

I think that applies only if you’re white and can give good head.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/7 "2008-04-25T07:47:32Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Siam Sam]  
I think that applies only if you’re white and can give good head.  
[/QUOTE]

Not true. Look at The Juice, he took advantage of the Celebrity Exception.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/8 "2008-04-25T07:49:09Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi]  
Not true. Look at The Juice, he took advantage of the Celebrity Exception.  
[/QUOTE]

😕 I guess I’ve been away a long time. I don’t know any Juice.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/9 "2008-04-25T07:58:14Z")

</div>

Okay, just wigged that it’s OJ Simpson. But he was not convicted of murder. I’ll bet he does time if convicted of this latest tussle of his in Las Vegas. (That’s still pending, yes?) Paris Hilton was convicted for her offense but served only a token amount of time.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/10 "2010-07-21T04:18:38Z")

</div>

An update: the federal blood-suckers win!

[Appeals court upholds Wesley Snipes’ sentence.](http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/17/snipes.sentence.appeal/index.html)

[QUOTE=CNN]  
A federal appeals court has denied actor Wesley Snipes’ claim that his three-year prison sentence for tax evasion was “unreasonable.”

A panel of judges in the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld Snipes’ 2008 sentencing on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file tax returns.

“The district court acted well within its considerable discretion in sentencing Snipes to thirty-six months in prison,” the judges said.

Snipes had argued that the only reasonable sentence would have been a period of probation.

Snipes had been granted bond while he appealed his conviction on federal tax charges. It was unclear when he would be required to report to prison.  
[/QUOTE]

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/11 "2010-07-21T05:36:16Z")

</div>

> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> An update: the federal blood-suckers win!

Wow. That is harsh. Don’t mess with the IRS!

According to a friend who installed a security system for the guy, he owns a house near here (in Wisconsin, believe it or not). Bet you could buy it soon…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/12 "2010-07-21T06:05:12Z")

</div>

> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> I guess that’s the price you pay for being a wanker.

Yep. Even if you’re just a daywanker.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/13 "2010-07-21T06:25:01Z")

</div>

I thought this update was going to be about this week’s episode of _American Dad_. Stan went to prison and Snipes was one of his cellmates.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/14 "2010-07-21T07:55:33Z")

</div>

Isn’t that how Blade 3 starts… Blade in jail due to federal bloodsuckers’ plotting?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/15 "2010-07-21T13:23:01Z")

</div>

> [@GHO57](#):
>
> Isn’t that how Blade 3 starts… Blade in jail due to federal bloodsuckers’ plotting?

Blade 3 was so bad I with he’d been jailed before making that one.

I wonder when he’ll have to go to prison. Will he really serve 3 years?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/16 "2010-07-21T13:25:54Z")

</div>

Perhaps one of our US law-Dopers will assist, but I believe I’ve seen news articles commenting that there’s no parole in the federal corrections system. If that’s the case, it looks like he’ll serve three years.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/17 "2010-07-21T17:28:29Z")

</div>

I wonder if he will just have to bide his time or will they put him in cyrogenic suspension and program his brain so that he can knit well?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/18 "2010-07-21T17:34:48Z")

</div>

Three misdemeanor convictions and a three year prison sentence? It looks like he got the max allowable under law. I thought that judges were supposed to follow sentencing guidelines.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/19 "2010-07-21T18:48:52Z")

</div>

> [@jtgain](#):
>
> Three misdemeanor convictions and a three year prison sentence? It looks like he got the max allowable under law. I thought that judges were supposed to follow sentencing guidelines.

I was kind of wondering that too.

I can see two extremes. He just didnt bother to pay taxes or paid them wrong. The IRS catches his ass and he says “my bad, I’m an idiot, what do I owe, what are the penalties, here is the check”.

Other extreme. Obvious active attempt to avoid paying taxes. Gets caught and fights it the whole way with lawyers.

If its the first one, 3 years in jail seems a bit much. Just fine the shit out of the stupid dude and move on.

Now, if its the second, fine the shit out of the dude AND send him up the river for 3years.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786/20 "2010-07-21T19:00:19Z")

</div>

> [@billfish678](#):
>
> I was kind of wondering that too.
> 
> I can see two extremes. He just didnt bother to pay taxes or paid them wrong. The IRS catches his ass and he says “my bad, I’m an idiot, what do I owe, what are the penalties, here is the check”.
> 
> Other extreme. Obvious active attempt to avoid paying taxes. Gets caught and fights it the whole way with lawyers.
> 
> If its the first one, 3 years in jail seems a bit much. Just fine the shit out of the stupid dude and move on.
> 
> Now, if its the second, fine the shit out of the dude AND send him up the river for 3years.

It’s the second. His argument was that the federal income tax law didn’t apply to him. See the [wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Snipes#Tax_problems):

> [@](#):
>
> The government alleged that Snipes attempted to obtain fraudulent tax refunds using a tax protester theory called the “861 argument” (essentially, an argument that the domestic income of U.S. citizens and residents is not taxable). The indictment said Snipes used accountants who already had a history of filing false returns to obtain refund payments for their clients.[14] The government also charged that Snipes sent three worthless, fictitious “bills of exchange” to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the amounts of $1,000,000 (on November 30, 2000), $12,000,000 (January 18, 2001), and $1,000,000 (September 10, 2002), with each accompanied by an IRS tax payment voucher coupon.[15]
> 
> …
> 
> In a December 4, 2006 letter from Snipes in response to his indictment, he declared himself “a non-resident alien” of the United States (in reality Snipes is a US born citizen).[18] Snipes said he was being made an example of and unfairly targeted by prosecutors because of his fame in connection with the federal tax fraud investigation.

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-federal-blood-suckers-took-down-blade/446786.md?page=2)
