A month after he began serving his two-year jail sentence on gun charges, the 'Mesmerize' rapper is sentenced to 28 months in prison for failing to file federal income tax returns for five years.
- Jul 19, 2011
AceShowbiz - A little over than a month after he began serving his two-year jail sentence on a gun possession charge, Ja Rule is hit with more bad news. On Monday, July 18, the 35-year-old artist was sentenced to 28 months in a federal prison for failing to file tax returns with the IRS over the period of five years.
Minutes before being sentenced, the "Mesmerize" rapper said, "I in no way attempted to deceive the government or do anything illegal." He further explained, "I was a young man who made a lot of money - I'm getting a little choked up - I didn't know how to deal with these finances, and I didn't have people to guide me, so I made mistakes."
Ja Rule pleaded guilty to three counts of unfiled taxes back in March. He, at the time, admitted he had failed to pay taxes on more than $3 million in income that he earned from 2004 to 2006. Along with his jail sentence, the MC has also been ordered to pay $1.1 million in unpaid taxes.
On the bright side, the rapper whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins is allowed to serve his 28-month federal sentence at the same time as his gun charges sentence at New York State's Oneida Correctional Facility. He was sent to prison on June 8 after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
