Why did Fat Joe go to jail?
‘What’s Luv?’ hitmaker Fat Joe has had his fair share of legal troubles over the years, including an especially troubling saga that is playing out at the time of writing.
But in 2013, he was actually sent to jail for several months after pleading guilty to a serious offence, but, in truth, the outcome could have been a lot worse. He could have potentially been locked up for years.
Between the years 2007 and 2010, Joe had been making a lot of money through gigging and music royalties. According to a press release issued by the US Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, he admitted to earning at least $1.18 million in 2007, $1.28 million in 2008, $265,000 in 2009, and $630,000 in 2010. These were decidedly healthy sums, but the problem was that he wasn’t paying tax on them. He owed the government $718,038.
In court, Joe admitted that he had been in the wrong. He apologised to his loved ones, particularly to his daughter, who was only six years old at the time. She was being mocked in school because of this case, with her peers making fun of the fact that her dad was going to be sent to jail. “There was a lot going on in the years that I didn’t file my taxes,” Joe told the court, “but it was my responsibility.” He pleaded guilty to tax evasion.
It was possible that Joe could have been imprisoned for up to two years, but the judge opted to be lenient in light of the fact that he paid back $718,000 before he was sentenced. Additionally, his charitable activities were taken into account, including his attempts to provide schools with computers. But, while his sentence was softened, he would still be sent to jail. He received four months and a $15,000 fine.
The day before he was set to be sent to prison, Joe released a mixtape, The Darkside III, but that would be the end of his public life for a while. He entered jail on August 26, 2013, and he remained there until November 28, 2013. He’d initially been set to be behind bars until the end of December, but he was given an early release. He marked that outcome by uploading a clip of him surprising his daughter at home.
This tax evasion case, unfortunately, would not be the last time that Fat Joe’s legal troubles would play out in public. He is presently embroiled in a scandal involving his former hype man, Terrance “TA” Dixon, who has accused him of paedophilia, forced labour and sex trafficking. Joe vehemently denies the accusations, and, in April this year, he filed a lawsuit against Dixon for defamation and extortion. Dixon, in turn, filed a lawsuit against Joe in June, accusing him of engaging in sex acts with minors and coercing Dixon into doing the same. This disturbing story continues to develop.