Twista facing years in Chicago prison after pleading guilty to charges
Twista is facing up to five years in prison after dodging hundreds of thousands of dollars in income taxes.
The Chicago rapper (real name Carl Mitchell) pleaded guilty to five counts of wilfully failing to pay income tax in a US District Court on May 26th.
According to TMZ, prosecutors accused Twista of failing to pay income taxes between 2019 and 2023, despite the IRS and accountants warning him about his debt and legal obligation to pay.
During this time, he was allegedly earning money from performances, streaming royalties, album sales, and music licensing.
They allege the rapper made agreements with a third-party company to receive advances on future royalty payments to avoid the IRS accessing funds.
He allegedly purchased four luxury vehicles instead of paying off his taxes, which amount to $440,000 and date back to 2011.
Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office, said, “Too many honest Americans work hard, pay their taxes, and do the right thing to tolerate someone who believes the rules don’t apply to them.”
“Mr Mitchell was warned by both the IRS and his own accountant, yet he chose to keep dodging his tax obligations. That’s a choice – not a mistake. IRS Criminal Investigation doesn’t care how famous you are or what you’ve accomplished. If you wilfully refuse to pay your taxes, we’ll follow the money and bring you to justice.”
Twista will be sentenced on October 22nd, with each count carrying up to a year behind bars.
The 52-year-old hasn’t released a studio album since Crook County in 2017. However, he’s dropped mixtapes and EPs such as Summer 96, Lifetime, News @ 9, and Shooter Ready.