NEWS

DMX was sentenced on Wednesday to one year in prison and three years of supervised release for tax evasion after trying to avoid paying $1.7 million in federal taxes by concealing royalties and other income, according to TMZ. X was initially charged by prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York with 14 counts and a possible 44 years behind bars.

In November, DMX struck a guilty plea to one count of tax evasion that came with a much lighter maximum sentence of five years in jail. Prior to his sentencing earlier today, the rapper accepted responsibility for his actions, confessing “he was too old to be doing the things he’s doing, and admitted he hasn’t been thinking straight,” per TMZ. His attorney Murray Richman played X’s music video for “Slippin’” to show that his client has endured a tough life.

DMX’s sentencing came one day before it was originally planned because his lawyer wanted to attend the Mets’ Opening Day game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field on Thursday, according to Page Six. “I’ve heard of the Mets. They’re a mediocre team that sometimes tries to play baseball,” Manhattan federal Judge Jed Rakoff jokingly said. “I don’t want you to miss the sorrow of seeing their opening day.”

via Complex