Pop Icon, Shakira, Facing 8 Years in Prison for Tax Fraud

Celebrities occasionally make the decision to break the law in one way or another. We typically find it surprising when they break the law. However, they have flaws just like us and occasionally act inappropriately.

I’ve occasionally witnessed famous people choose not to pay their taxes for seemingly no reason. When Wesley Snipes was arrested for tax evasion in the early 2000s after failing to pay taxes for roughly 6 years, this was a big deal.

Well, now there is another. The famous pop singer, Shakira.

If prosecutors in Spain have their way, the famous pop singer Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, could spend as much as eight years and two months behind bars.

According to a report by the Associated Press, on Friday, Spanish prosecutors asked a court in Spain to order the pop star to face the lengthy prison sentence if she is found guilty of alleged tax fraud in a trial that is expected to take place soon.

The 45-year-old pop icon was indicted on six charges early last month; however, she elected to go to trial rather than accept a settlement deal that had been offered to her.

According to the report, between the years of 2012 and 2014, Shakira allegedly failed to pay the Spanish government an amount of taxes that is roughly equivalent to fifteen million dollars.

In addition to the lengthy prison sentence, the prosecutor’s office is demanding that the singer of “Hips Don’t Lie” pay a fine that is roughly equivalent to $24 million.

In a statement that was made public on Friday, Shakira’s publicists said that the singer “has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer.”

This week, Shakira’s public relations team claimed that the mother of two had deposited the money that she owed to the government, in addition to millions of dollars more in interest.

Sources:
Daily Wire

Photo Credit: Julio Gomez Braojos