Student Life | The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878

Method Man arrested for tax evasion

Two days after performing at the fall Walk In Lay Down at Washington University, one half of the headlining rap duo was arrested on Monday morning for tax evasion.

Method Man, legally known as Clifford Smith, reportedly failed to pay $32,799 in personal income and earnings taxes to New York State that date back from 2004 to 2007, according to a press release from the New York district attorney’s office.

The former Wu-Tang Clan member turned himself in to the DA police squad car shortly after 8 a.m. in his native Staten Island and was charged with two counts of tax evasion.

The 38-year-old rapper, producer and actor could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

“Taxes are a burden that all citizens share in a civil society, whether you are an ‘average Joe’ on the street or a high-profile rap artist,” said Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan.

Method Man was busted for marijuana possession and driving under the influence in 2007. The following year, his Lincoln Navigator was repossessed after he fell $52,503 in debt. Method Man is divorced with four children. In 1995, he and Mary J. Blige earned a Grammy for their song “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By.”

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Student Life | The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878