Hill fails to pay her debt to the country about $1 million in taxes and is expected to report to prison on July 8.
- May 7, 2013
AceShowbiz - Lauryn Hill has been sentenced to three months in jail after failing to pay about $1 million in taxes. The Fugees' member showed up at the Newark court on Monday, May 6 to receive her sentence. According to Associated Press, she would be confined in prison for three months. After being released from prison, she would face one year parole supervision and 3-month home confinement as well as $60,000 fine.
"Although Hill pleaded guilty to charges specifically related to those tax years, her sentence also takes into account additional income and tax losses for 2008 and 2009 - when she also failed to file federal returns - along with her outstanding tax liability to the state of New Jersey, for a total income of approximately $2.3 million and total tax loss of approximately $1,006,517," the prosecutor said.
In the court, Hill stated that she wanted to pay her due, but she was unable to do so because of her hiatus from the industry. She continued saying that cruel experience in the industry contributed to her decision to take hiatus. "There were veiled threats, there was blacklisting. I was told, 'That's how it goes, it comes with the territory.' I came to be perceived as a cash cow and not a person. When people capitalize on a persona, they forget there is a person in there," Hill said.
Hill's lawyer Nathan Hochman told CNN that "the judge gave a fair and reasonable sentence." He added that his client's family circumstances with 6 young children and her minimum criminal records helped her with the sentence. "I think the government has let a number of celebrities off and never criminally prosecuted them, Willie Nelson being at least one example," Hochman said.
The lawyer added, "I think that the court took that into account as well. Ms. Hill did not get a slap on the wrist and let off with just paying a certain amount of money but has had to go through this entire criminal prosecution."
