Posted on 10/02/2008 1:30:03 PM PDT by Kimmers
Helio Castroneves -- winner of both the Indianapolis 500 and reality TV show Dancing with the Stars -- will soon be doing the tango with the IRS over multimillion-dollar tax-evasion charges in Miami federal court, U.S. authorities said.
The famed Brazilian driver, who owns a Coral Gables mansion sporting his auto-racing trophies and two checkered flags from his Indy 500 victories, was indicted along with a relative and an Ohio attorney on Thursday, authorities said.
The 33-year-old Team Penske star is charged with failing to pay more than $5 million in taxes over a four-year period, authorities said. His sister, Kati Castroneves, and his lawyer, Allan Miller, are accused of assisting him in the alleged tax-evasion scheme.
The three defendants are expected to surrender to authorities and have their first appearances in federal court on Friday morning. They could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.
Born in Sao Paulo, race car driving has made Castroneves a rich man.
Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500 in both 2001 and 2002. He was the fifth driver to achieve that milestone in consecutive years. He also finished second to teammate and countryman Gil de Ferran in 2003.
He become a bona fide American celebrity last year after winning the fifth season of ABC's reality TV show Dancing with the Stars with partner Julianne Hough.
At his Coral Gables home, he keeps three large trophies on three stone columns in front of a window overlooking his front patio.
''My Dancing with the Stars trophy is the one in the middle. I love that disco ball,'' Castroneves recently told a Miami Herald reporter.
After that wave of publicity, Castroneves started drawing as much interest in his love life as his racing career. He denied dating his dance partner.
''No, I'm not dating Julianne,'' Castroneves said last December when he announced he and his longtime girlfriend Aliette Vazquez had called off their engagement.
On the race track, Castroneves has been more of a runner-up than a winner this year.
In the IndyCar Series, Castroneves won for the first time in 30 races at the Sonoma, Calif., Grand Prix in late August. Until that victory, he had finished runner-up seven times.
Castroneves screamed with joy when he crossed the finish line, hollering, ``Bring it home, baby.''
He has been nicknamed Spider Man for his fence-climbing celebrations. In Sonoma, he jumped out of his No. 3 Dallara Honda at the finish line and scaled a short fence behind the pits to celebrate with fans.
'They kept telling me, `Push, push, push.' That was fun, a lot of fun,'' Castroneves said. ``Oh my God, this is awesome. We've been close so often. We never lost faith. This is great for Detroit.''
For Castroneves, it was his 13th IndyCar Series victory.
And in early September, Castroneves finished second in the Detroit Grand Prix, closing the gap between himself and his first 2008 IndyCar Series driver championship.
I really like this guy....I hope it is a case of him trusting the wrong people and he really does not know anything about this....we shall see
I told him not to take tax advice from Charles Rangel! But Helio told me, “He’s on the tax committee. That man knows everything about taxes!”
Looks like he pissed somebody off....LOL! ;)
Aww, man, I liked him too. He exhudes charm, but it’s not gonna help in with the IRS, or in the pokey.
“I told him not to take tax advice from Charles Rangel! But Helio told me, “He’s on the tax committee. That man knows everything about taxes!””
They must have talked to him in Spanish, but he speaks Portuguese.
This thread is going to need some Julianne Hough photos.
He’s a good driver, a good dancer, and good tax man... well, not so much.
Nobody at this level does his own taxes. I would think his tax adviser was the problem here, but who knows.
I would also like to think he would be absolved here.
Why should he pay it? It’s just going to go to Europe anyway.
Thank You! I don’t know if Helio is guilty, but Julianne is DEFINITELY NOT GUILTY!
I’ve heard of Neo Conservatives and Paleo Liberals, but I’ve never heard of a Helio Castroneves.
Are they sun-worshiping eunuchs?
Don’t know who the chick is but she has a wedding ring
That's so not as many guys will hit on her.
I also like that she looks like a woman, despite barely being 20 years old. She looks quite mature for just 20.
There's always the Wesley Snipes defense.
If he wanted to minimize taxes maybe he should have set up permanent shop in Monaco like a lot of the F1 drivers have done.
Too late Helio... time to pay the piper because... as you know “death and taxes.”
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