Wesley Snipes will spend 3 years in jail...

...for tax evasion.

Wesley Snipes is prison-bound.

The Blade star, 45, was sentenced Thursday to three years behind bars as his punishment for tax evasion, U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges announced in an Ocala, Fla., courtroom.

During the sentencing the actor sat stone-faced – and some in the courtroom gasped when the sentence was read. "I'm very sorry for my mistakes and errors. I apologize to my family, the court and the community," Snipes said in court. "I've asked the court to show me mercy and the opportunity to make things right."

In February, a federal jury convicted Snipes of three counts of failing to file a tax return (from 1999 through 2001). Thursday he received 12 months for each count.

Earlier this year, he was acquitted on the more serious charges of conspiracy to defraud the government and filing a false claim for a $7 million refund – both felonies – as well as three similar counts of failure to file returns for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004.

What an idiot.

[macallan25]

Prisons are filled to the brim and they give him three years for tax evasion? a victimless crime?

Seems ridiculous to me.

[SATX*APhi]

Wow.

[smiley21]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Prisons are filled to the brim and they give him three years for tax evasion? a victimless crime?

Seems ridiculous to me.

Remember the saying, "The punishment should fit the crime"? Well, it is too bad we really don't take that mentality seriously. Instead of prison, they should make him live with absolutely nothing to his name.

[nittanyalum]

Wooooooooowwwwww. I didn't think he'd actually get time. They won't suspend any of the sentence? He's actually going to serve the full 3 years? Dang, I guess no Blade 4 anytime soon...

[James]

I agree. Bad accountant.

Originally Posted by macallan25

Prisons are filled to the brim and they give him three years for tax evasion? a victimless crime?

Seems ridiculous to me.

[ASUADPi]

But why should he not do the time because he is a star? If any of us pulled what he did we would probably face time, so should he.

I'm honestly glad he got time. I am sooooo tired of reading about famous people, who have obviously tons of money, who do stupid crap and get caught and then just get a slap on the wrist (i.e. probation) because they are famous, while us "normal" people get jail. (Remember Winona Ryder)

I don't care if these people are famous, you break the law, you pay the punishment.

Because so many stars were getting "star treatment" for breaking the law, I hope the fact that Wesley is going to jail makes them and the courts "rethink" their "because their stars" mentality. They deserve the same punishments as any other person in the U.S. who pulls the same crap that they do.