'Survivor' Winner Hatch Found Guilty Of Tax Evasion
POSTED: 1:51 pm EST January 25,
2006
UPDATED: 2:34 pm EST January 25,
2006
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch has been found guilty of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million he won on the show.Hatch faced 10 counts overall. He was also convicted of evading taxes on $327,000 he earned for co-hosting a radio show and $28,000 in rent on property he owned.However, he was acquitted of seven charges of bank, mail and wire fraud.Jurors in U.S. District Court in Providence reached their verdict on the second day of deliberations. The trial lasted two weeks.Hatch was handcuffed and taken into custody after the verdict because the U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres considered him a potential flight risk.Sentencing is April 28. Hatch faces up to 13 years in prison and a fine of $600,000.Hatch's attorney, Michael Minns, told jurors that his 44-year-old client was the "world's worst bookkeeper" and never meant to do anything wrong.Near the end of the trial, an explanation for Hatch's failure to pay taxes was raised by Minns, but never mentioned in the jury's presence.The lawyer said Hatch caught fellow contestants cheating and struck a deal with the show's producers to pay his taxes if he won.But Hatch was never asked about the allegation when he testified.MORE: Read More About Hatch's Federal Indictment At FindLaw.com
Previous Stories:
- January 24, 2006: Closing Arguments Set In 'Survivor' Hatch's Tax Fraud Trial
- January 12, 2006: 'Survivor' Winner Called 'World's Worst Bookkeeper'
- January 11, 2006: Jury Selection Begins In 'Survivor' Winner's Tax Fraud Trial
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