Today, Survivor winner and current Celebrity Apprentice candidate, Richard Hatch was sentenced to an additional nine month sentence for failing to pay taxes on the $1 million he won on the first season of Survivor. Hatch has already served 3 years in prison for tax evasion before being released and has been serving a three-year term of supervised release. He is alleged to have not refiled his 2000 and 2001 tax releases.
U.S. District Court Judge William Smith on Friday said Hatch, who has strenuously maintained his innocence, had exhibited no remorse and had made no effort to comply with an order that he straighten out and pay his taxes. He imposed a sentence three months longer than what was recommended by prosecutors: six months — the maximum in the federal sentencing guidelines.
“You can continue to proclaim your innocence,” Smith said. “You don’t have the option of engaging in this type of game or negotiation with the court. It needs to be a severe punishment. That’s the only thing that will deter you in the future.”
No word on how this will affect Hatch’s run on The Celebrity Apprentice which was pre-taped.
