Method Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Submitted by Jorina Fontelera on Tue, 06/29/2010 - 12:49

Hip-hop star Method Man, a former member of rap group Wu-Tang Clan, pleaded guilty to a tax-evasion charge Monday and wrote a $40,000 check on the spot for the final restitution payment. He owed approximately $106,000 in unpaid taxes, the Associated Press reported.

Method Man, a Staten Island resident whose real name is Clifford Smith, was arrested October 2009 on charges that he failed to pay state and personal income taxes from 2004 to 2007. "In these days of massive budget shortfalls and service cuts, tax evasion is a crime against all New Yorkers," Richmond County District Attorney Daniel Donovan told the AP. "Whether you are a celebrity or an average Joe, you will be investigated, arrested and prosecuted."

The most Method Man owed in unpaid taxes for one year was $32,799. "When he found out about the tax issue he hired someone and immediately corrected it," defense attorney Peter Frankel told the AP.

After pleading guilty, Method Man was sentenced to a conditional discharge, meaning the arrest will be purged from his record if he stays out of trouble, the AP noted.

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