Stephen Baldwin was arrested back in December for failure to pay state taxes in New York for the past three years. The 46 year-old actor was arrested in Rockland County for failure to file tax returns for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. Stephen owes the state over $350,000, and faced up to four years in prison if convicted of the felony charge. But today TMZ reports that Baldwin struck a deal with the government and prosecutors that should keep the actor from being put behind bars.
Stephen Baldwin's lawyer, Russell Yankwitt, says his client is ready to plead guilty in the tax evasion case, and will thus avoid any prison time. In the deal he struck with prosecutors, he'll have up to five years to pay back the government.
Baldwin said in the past that his financial troubles are a result of his lack of work in Hollywood, which stems from his religious conversion. Stephen became a born-again Christian following the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
Yankwitt said, “Mr. Baldwin did not commit any crimes, and he's working with the district attorney's office and the New York State Tax Department to resolve any differences”, the L.A. Times reported previously.
Stephen has faced financial troubles before. “The Usual Suspects” actor filed for bankruptcy protection back in 2009. He apparently spent money that he had put aside and separated out for future taxes.
Baldwin told the San Francisco Gate recently that he’s essentially “blackballed” in Hollywood due to his faith. He’s convinced his devotion to Christianity has cost him his career.
Stephen told “Good Morning America”, “I had a casting director come up to me two years ago and say, ‘I’m really sorry because I’ve brought your name up in castings for a while now and they all just look at me like I’m crazy’”.
Baldwin is currently making his second appearance on Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” show, in its first ever “All-Star” edition this season. He still thinks producers are hesitant to hire him because they see his faith as being too controversial.
It’s more likely they saw “Bio-Dome”.
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