The hip-hop star Method Man had to hire a New York criminal defense lawyer after being charged with tax evasion. Apparently the record producer was charged for failing to pay state and personal income taxes from 2004 to 2007. The New York Post reports that the rapper owed about $106,000 to the State Commissioner of Tax and Finance.
Luckily New York criminal defense attorney Peter Frankel was able to help the hip-artist out a lot, as the man was only sentenced to a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to tax evasion. With a conditional discharge, a person's record is wiped clean of the charge as long as that person stays out of trouble.
The Staten Island rapper agreed to make a $40,000 payment in restitution to New York officials with his guilty plea. Peter Frankel described his client as a "fine, upstanding citizen" and said that he just made a mistake.
"He's thrilled. He's very happy that it worked and that he was able to take care of whatever mistakes were made. Unfortunately, he did not have the people to tend to his affairs the way they were supposed to," the New York criminal defense lawyer told the New York Post.
In tough economic times when there are massive budget shortfalls and service cuts, officials are paying more attention to tax evasion crimes. But whether you're a celebrity or just an ordinary citizen, there are New York criminal defense attorneys in the area that can help New Yorkers with a defense strategy when it comes to tax evasion.
Related Resources:
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Tax Evasion - Criminal Law (FindLaw)
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Find a New York Criminal Defense Lawyer (FindLaw)
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Tax Penalties: Quick Reference Guide (FindLaw)
