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Wesley Snipes' tax fraud case began this week in Florida with a jury selection and a call for nearly 70 potential character witnesses, including several celebrities, such as Muhammad Ali, Spike Lee, Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters, Woody Harrelson and Sylvester Stallone. According to the Associated Press, he's accused of failing to pay taxes on $37.9 million in income between 1999 and 2006. Prosecutors also say he attempted to get fraudulent refunds from the IRS totaling $11.3 million for taxes he paid in 1996 and 1997.
Meanwhile, attorneys for Snipes argue he was misled by advisors and didn\'t realize he was at fault. Snipes showed up at the trial on January 14th, wearing a black suit and designer sunglasses, but he was advised not to speak. His longtime advisor said, "We want the jury to understand that Wesley Snipes is very much like everybody at the same time, and at the same time very different."
If convicted, Snipes could face up to 16 years in prison.
His case has been pushed back twice because of his work commitments and the large volume of paperwork in the case.
Snipes and his legal team tried to get the case moved, arguing that he was unable to get a fair trial in Ocala, Florida because of inherent racism in the area. The pool of 37 potential jurors was predominantly white, and the judge moved through them slowly. Most said they had heard of the case, but not extensively.
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