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Ja Rule Sentenced To 28 Months For Failing To Pay Taxes
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jul 18, 2011
Modified Jul 18, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jul 18, 2011
Modified Jul 18, 2011
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Rapper Jeffrey Atkins AKA Ja Rule began serving a two-year state sentence last month for attempted possession of a firearm, but yesterday he was sentenced to 28 months and ordered to forfeit $1.1 million for failing to file his federal income taxes. Wearing an orange jumpsuit, the Daily News reports that Atkins told the court, "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." Atkins pled guilty in March to failing to pay taxes on the $3 million he earned between 2004 and 2006.
Luckily for Atkins, the judge ruled that he can serve most of his federal sentence concurrently with his state sentence, and may only be an additional 4-12 months depending on how long he's held at Oneida Correction Facility for the weapon charges. His attorney told reporters that he "wanted to be reunited with his family and get back to work in order to be able to pay his taxes." The 35-year-old rapper's 8th album, a follow up to 2001's Pain Is Love, Pain Is Love 2, is due out at some point this summer. Below, enjoy some Ja Rule classics:
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Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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