"I told you I'd get even for rubbing up against me, Richard. Us truck drivers have lots of contacts at the IRS, by golly."
Posted on 01/18/2005 10:20:31 AM PST by presidio9
Richard Hatch, the first winner of CBS's "Survivor," was charged today with failing to report his $1 million reality TV windfall to the Internal Revenue Service. The below two-count criminal information, unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, charges Hatch with filing a false 2000 tax return that omitted his seven-figure "Survivor" winnings. The nudity enthusiast, 43, is also charged with filing a false return for 2001 (he allegedly did not report $321,000 paid to him by a Boston radio station). If convicted of the felony charges, Hatch could face a maximum of five years in prison for each count and could be hit with a $250,000 fine. Hatch is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in Providence federal court January 24. (6 pages)
This is no excuse but, I have to wonder why CBS didn't do the withholding thing. Lotteries do it.
I would consider a gay man who insisted on parading naked before me all the time to be guilty of sexual harassment.
I don't see what the big deal is.
He will meet the IRS and bend over and take it... With a smile.
It's too bad they closed Alcatraz.
He could use another island vacation.
The first one was "OK", but the second one is much better.
The quality of the new series is head and shoulders above the original, and certainly better than most of what passes for original SF these days (including the "Stargate" duo, and arguably "Star Trek"). It is every bit as good as "Farscape" was in it's heyday, and certainly rivals the best that Trek was able to offer in the early 90s (before Berman & Braga diluted and wrecked the franchise).
The stories are tightly written, the action is on point, and the effects are very well done.
There's one story that you will recognize as a complete rehash of an original BSG script (at least if you were even passably a fan of the original), and though it's OK, it is the one episode that I've not been overly impressed with.
I just pulled down Ep. 12 from SkyOne (it ran in the UK last night), and will watch it this evening, with high hopes for whatever cliffhanger they come up with next week (there's only 13 episides in season one). SciFi has already given a green light to season two, but of course, we'll most likely have to wait until late fall before we get to see those episodes.
Draino usually works for that... [g]
The first one I saw was 33.. Which I had to admit it was a good episode. Shooting down your own vessel not knowing if there are civilans on the ship or not was intense. Water was ok. I'm still going to wait and see what happens..
Even if he is convicted of a tax crime, he is still liable for the tax. He could also be charged with the civil fraud penalty, which is equal to 75 percent of the tax not paid due to fraud. The IRS bears the burden of proving civil fraud by the standard of clear and convicing evidence, which is a lower standard of proof than guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The courts have held that the civil fraud penalty is more remedial than punitive. Therefore, being assessed the civil fraud penalty after a criminal conviction does not violate the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment.
"I told you I'd get even for rubbing up against me, Richard. Us truck drivers have lots of contacts at the IRS, by golly."
Did you know that you can avoid federal income taxes more than three years old via bankruptcy?
Yeah. He didn't report the incoem from that gig, either.
Is he the gay guy? Jail should be fun.
My thoughts too.
Why wasnt half of this withheld when they gave him his check?
What state does he live in...they'll want their cut too.
This is a criminal case, not a civil action to collect back taxes. Bankruptcy won't help, and any deal will likely require at least a deferred adjudication, if not a guilty plea. They probably want the example as much as they want the money in this case.
The time to make the deal is before the criminal charges appear.
"Down the Hatch!!!
Yes, I think you are right. If he had not filed a return at all he would be on stronger legal footing. A return is a binding contract - no return is nothing.
I can't believe anyone is so stupid that they (1) outright 'forgot' to report $1.1m in well publicized income, (2) rejected all IRS settlement offers , and (3) was willing to take on a criminal case.
"They'll cut him a good deal."
I don't think so. I think they'll make an example of him (remember Wllie Nelson?). They have to show that scofflaws will be prosecuted so others, particularly entertainers and athletes, don't try the same thing.
IF he approached them first, in good faith, they would cut a deal.
But, it doesn't sound like he is taking the easy way out in this.
The tax evadars that I have known in the past, were always told, WORK WITH US, and this will be less painful.
I don't know what legal advice Hatch has received, but the matter could have been cleared up, easier.
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