After Turning Himself In, DMX Could Reportedly Be Facing Over 40 Years in Jail
After a 2016 incident involving a stolen watch and alleged sexual assault incident, New York’s gritty rap vet DMX has been making surprise appearances, working on new music and taking a healthy step forward from his substance abuse past.
But after turning himself in on 14 counts of tax evasion, TMZ reports, it seems his legal troubles are unfortunately far from over.
TMZ points out that New York’s U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed the IRS has hit X with 14 counts of tax evasion for withholding his income, a violation that has placed him $1.7 million in debt.
Reports from his official indictment allege that by using cash as his primary means of living, he dodged personal bank accounts to avoid any paper trails. The indictment also lists his 2003 hit, “X Gon’ Give It to Ya,” among other singles, as one of the means of income he’s allegedly been stowing away from the IRS since the early 2000s.
The site adds that prosecutors accused him of falsifying the knowledge of his earnings, which he reportedly listed as “unknown” for 2011 and 2012 but turned out to be raking in $353,000 and $542,000 for those years. Despite reporting his income at $10,000 in 2013, however, federal prosecutors reportedly believe he brought in over 20 times that amount at $250,000. The trouble with his numbers stem from his 2012 Couples Therapy duties, TMZ says, where he was supposed to be handed $125,000. Once receiving the check, minus taxes, X reportedly returned to the VH1 show’s producers, requested the entire taxless amount and walked away with the full $125,000.
X ended up turning himself in to authorities on Thursday (July 13), TMZ concludes, and will face the official indictment in front of a judge on Friday (July 14). Should he be convicted on the 14 counts, the 46-year-old rap vet could potentially be looking at 44 years behind bars.