Helio Castroneves Races Away From Charges

May 23. 2009

Helio Castroneves

Brazilian race car driver and Miami resident, Helio Castroneves, raced away from criminal charges this week, in the case the IRS brought against him for tax evasion. All charges have now been dropped. Somewhere Wesley Snipes is screaming and trying to find the number for Helio’s lawyer.

Final charge against Castroneves dropped

Two-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves beat the final charge in his tax-evasion. When he races in Sunday's Indy 500, Helio Castroneves won't have to worry about the one criminal charge left unresolved from his recent tax-evasion trial in Miami.

Prosecutors Friday dropped the only remaining charge against the two-time Indy 500 champion, one month after a federal jury deadlocked on that conspiracy count and acquitted him of six tax-evasion charges.

For the Brazilian race car star, cleared of evading taxes on $5.5 million, it was a final legal victory just before he starts IndyCar racing's premier event from the pole position…

…The driver's attorneys have told prosecutors that Castroneves intends to start paying his taxes on the deferred income from the Dutch entity, Fintage, which he is expected to receive this or next month. The IRS says Castroneves -- whose fame grew after he won the Dancing with the Stars reality TV show in 2007 -- owes the government $2.3 million...

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