When it comes to managing his money, actor Wesley Snipes, best known for his role as vampire hunter "Blade," can't seem to get it right. First he botched his income taxes, and now he's caught up in a Ponzi scheme.
The
New York Post
is reporting that a court case in Britain has revealed that Snipes may
have lost millions of dollars in an alleged Ponzi scheme perpetrated by
Lincoln Fraser and Jared Brook, the two former bosses of a now-defunct
British investment firm Imperial Consolidated. The pair went on trial
in London at the end of last month accused of defrauding as many as
3,000 victims out of nearly $400 million.
The two Brits say it was a legitimate investment business that fell victim to the financial crisis.
But
prosecutors disagree. They say the duo promised annual returns of 15% or even as much as 36%, and they allegedly used Snipes'
dosh and millions more on a luxurious lifestyle for themselves that
included buying a private jet.
Earlier this year Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison for trying to claim $11 million in tax refunds. He got his advice from a preparer who claimed that the action star's income was not from a "taxable source," so he was entitled to the refund. Snipes was ordered to pay $17 million in back taxes, interest and penalties in addition to the prison term -- he is currently free on bail and appealing the decision. So why are we now not surprised that this same celeb has gotten himself involved in a Ponzi scheme? -
Donna Block
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