DMX Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Tax Evasion Case

Rapper DMX has been sentenced to one year in federal prison after pleading guilty in the tax evasion case against him, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office told TheWrap on Wednesday.

The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, pleaded guilty in November to one count of tax fraud for evading the payment of income taxes in the period ranging from 2010 through 2016.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Simmons engaged in a scheme to conceal millions of dollars of income from the IRS and to avoid paying $1.7 million of tax liabilities.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Today, Earl Simmons, the actor, producer and recording artist known as DMX, admitted to systematically cheating on his taxes,” acting U.S. attorney Joon H. Kim said at the time of the guilty plea. “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. Today, Simmons made a choice between ‘Right or Wrong,’ and did the right thing, admitting his guilt, and agreeing to pay his tax liabilities.”

“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,” Kim added.

DMX had faced a maximum in five years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, he is required to pay restitution to the IRS.