Wesley Snipes is finally in federal custody to begin his three-year prison sentence for tax evasion, according to prison officials.
The actor, 48, was convicted in April 2008 of three misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file income taxes.
After two years of unsuccessful appeals, Snipes accepted his fate and yesterday turned in his street clothes for a prison uniform at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Lewis Run, Pa., People reports.
Snipes will eventually settle into the adjacent minimum-security prison camp, according to Federal Bureau of Prison spokesman Edmond Ross.
Ross added that Snipes, who surrendered around noon, was processed “without incident” and will be assigned a bunk after he completes inmate orientation.
Snipes was asked by CNN’s Larry King if he was nervous about going to prison and admitted his trepidation about doing time.
“I think any man would be nervous,” Snipes said. “Given the length of time that they are suggesting that I be away from my family, away from my profession, away from my ability to provide for my family and for those who have depended upon me to contribute to society … I think anyone would be nervous about that.”
Amidst speculation that he might retire, shock jock Howard Stern, 56, has signed another five-year contract with SiriusXM Radio.
Stern announced the news on his show yesterday morning, but was vague about his pay or terms of his contract.
However, when Stern left traditional radio behind and joined the paid-subscriber station in December 2005, he signed a five-year contract for $500 million.
Pop queen Miley Cyrus now owns posh homes on both coasts.
In addition to her lavish Los Angeles family estate, Cyrus secretly bought a $1.8 million Florida beach house last year, TMZ says.
The website says the waterfront home has four bedrooms, a fitness room and a cinema room.
Cyrus has reportedly said she will live with her dad, country superstar Billy Ray, in their L.A. home until she is at least 20.
According to Seventeen magazine, the $6.2 million L.A. home is a Mediterranean-style estate with five-bedrooms, lots of closet space, and of course entertaining space for the whole family.
O.A.R. saxophonist Jerry DePizzo remembers the energy and excitement when his band played outdoors in Vail for the first time last year.
O.A.R. plays another outdoor concert there Saturday, and DePizzo says he’ll wear much warmer clothing this time and seek out space heaters to keep his hands thawed out and to keep his saxophone in tune.
DePizzo says, “Cold is like a horn player’s kryptonite.” Some O.A.R. members are arriving in Colorado early to make a long weekend out of their trip, but DePizzo says he’s not planning to ski or snowboard much.
He jokes, “There are no nine-fingered sax players. If I fall and break something, I’m out of work.”
— The Associated Press also contributed to this report
Lsmith@denverpost.com
