The former winner of 'Survivor' is to stay nine months behind bars for violating the terms of his probation in tax evasion.
- March 12, 2011
AceShowbiz - Troubled U.S. reality TV star Richard Hatch has been sentenced to a further nine months in prison after violating the terms of his probation for tax evasion. Hatch was convicted in 2006 of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he won after appearing on the first season of America's "Survivor".
He walked free from a Massachusetts prison in October 2009, after completing a three-year federal sentence for the crime, and was ordered to refile and pay the owed fees on show winnings and other income. But Hatch did not refile his 2000 and 2001 tax returns - prompting Rhode Island's U.S. District Court Judge William Smith to send him back behind bars on Friday, March 11.
Judge Smith ordered Hatch to report to authorities on Monday to begin his sentence. He will also serve 26 months on supervised probation following his release. The embattled star owes an estimated $2 million to the Internal Revenue service, including interest and penalties.
Hatch is currently appearing on another reality TV show - Donald Trump's pre-taped "The Celebrity Apprentice" - which began airing in the U.S. earlier this month.
