Just when things were looking up for DMX, the multi-platinum rapper got dealt some bad news. After recently landing his own reality series and delighting fans with the release of his “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” cover, X was in court on Thursday (November 30) to plead guilty to tax evasion charges. He could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison, according to ABC News.
X, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was charged with 14 counts in July. He amassed a tax bill of $1.7 million following years of not filing any personal tax returns.
“Today, Earl Simmons admitted to systematically cheating on his taxes,” Joon H. Kim, the acting United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said. “By insisting to be paid in cash whenever possible and having royalty payments diverted to the accounts of financial surrogates, Simmons concealed hundreds of thousands of dollars of income from the IRS.
“Simmons made a choice between ‘right or wrong,’ and did the right thing, admitting his guilt, and agreeing to pay his tax liabilities,” he added. “No matter who you are or whatever fame you may have achieved, the law applies equally to all, and no one is exempt from the shared obligation to pay our taxes.”
X’s lawyer, Murray Richman, said his client is taking responsibility for relying on other people to handle the Ruff Ryders member’s taxes.
“He’s of the opinion that he’s guilty because he didn’t properly supervise his own life,” Richman said. “He gave the responsibility of paying his taxes to others but he knows it was his responsibility. He’s owning up to it at this particular point.”
In addition to a potential prison sentence, X must pay restitution to the IRS as part of his plea deal.
When they said he had to pay restitution I wonder if he told the judge “ X gon give it to ya he gon give it to ya” haha ?
No. He cried “How am i gonna buy crack now? You can’t do this to me!” hysterically.
That new crack rock tax is really fucking over black America…
Fuck you, you bitch ass muthafucka.
Swizz Beatz worth $65 million, his wife worth $130 million. Swizz would be nobody if he didn’t meet DMX or have the opportunity to meet his future ex-wife. Seems like $2 million would be nothing to loan his friend.
DMX had the opportunity to be worth double that on just record sales alone if he didn’t mess up so badly.
that’s true
“X gonna give it to ya” more like X gonna put his lips on the glass dick lmfao.. Talk about a washed up has been the guy is like the black Dicky Eklund
You’ll trash rapper i hope you taking a good look of what drug do to you, so please not pushing that using drug is cool today in the hip hop game, because sooner or later you will end up broke and in jail like DMX, done
X is the last of a dying breed of real rapper. However, let’s hope his next album isn’t from prison in the hole titled “It’s Dark as Hell and Hot”
dmx was lit back in early 00’s, now i don’t wanna even hear what’s he doing, he failed and his mind is trashed with this god
The law applies equally to everyone, says this prosecutor, except for rich white politicians.
GTFOH.
Right and wrong. Please. Paying your taxes is in the realm of right or wrong? Smarten the fuck up.
X’s childhood, how he grew up, all that is well known, and the government didn’t put shit into Yonkers. But when he started making money here come the government with it’s hand out. Fuck these cock suckers.
The IRS actually isn’t run by our government smart one. ANd what do you expect? To be a millionaire which doesn’t pay taxes? You shouldn’t ever use streets then, since your against taxes and all. Love DMX, so she m glad he’s owning up to it.
not to be negative, but is going to jail actually a punishment for dmx? i’m just sayin…