Beanie Sigel
| Beanie Sigel | |
|---|---|
| Born: | March 6, 1974 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (South Philadelphia)
|
| Charges: | Failure to file federal income tax returns (26 U.S.C. § 7203), tax years 2003-2005 |
| Sentence: | 24 months (2 years) federal imprisonment plus 1 year supervised release; served alongside a concurrent 6-23 month Pennsylvania state drug sentence |
| Released: | August 14, 2014 (transferred to Philadelphia halfway house); BOP-listed release date December 6, 2014 |
| Facility: | FCI Schuylkill (medium-security) |
| Status: | Released; federal sentence completed (2014) |
Born Dwight Grant on March 6, 1974, Beanie Sigel is an American rapper from South Philadelphia. He is best known as a Roc-A-Fella Records artist and the de facto leader of the group State Property. In 2011, he pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to failing to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2003 through 2005. On July 12, 2012, U.S. District Judge Jan E. DuBois sentenced him to 24 months (two years) in federal prison plus one year of supervised release. He served his federal term at FCI Schuylkill, a medium-security facility in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, and was moved to a Philadelphia halfway house on August 14, 2014.
Early Life and Career
Born Dwight Grant on March 6, 1974, in Philadelphia, specifically South Philadelphia, his stage name combines a childhood nickname, "Beanie", with Sigel Street in his South Philadelphia neighborhood. He signed to Roc-A-Fella Records in 1998, was associated with Jay-Z, and led the Philadelphia hip hop collective State Property. His notable albums include The Truth (2000), The Reason (2001), and The B.Coming (2005). He had prior criminal history predating the tax case, including a 2003 arrest in New Jersey on weapons charges, where an attempted murder count ended in a hung jury, and a federal weapons possession guilty plea for which he served roughly a year and was released in August 2005.
Criminal Case
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division investigated Grant's failure to file federal income tax returns.[1] Prosecutors said he earned more than $2.2 million in taxable income between 1999 and 2005 while paying only a single $10,000 tax payment in 2001, leaving roughly $728,536 owed for that six year period.[2] The formal charge covered his failure to file returns for tax years 2003 through 2005, as the 1999 to 2002 years could not be charged due to the statute of limitations. The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul L. Gray.[3]
Trial and Sentencing
Grant pleaded guilty on August 9, 2011. On July 12, 2012, U.S. District Judge Jan E. DuBois sentenced him to 24 months (two years) in federal prison plus one year of supervised release, during which he was ordered to pay all back taxes, penalties, and interest.[4] Prosecutors had sought a three year guideline sentence, but the judge found two years sufficient.[5] He was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons by September 12, 2012.
Incarceration
He served his federal sentence at FCI Schuylkill (medium-security), a medium security Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.[6] Multiple contemporaneous reports cite FCI Schuylkill as his location with a Bureau of Prisons release date of December 6, 2014. He surrendered to federal custody in September 2012. His federal term ran alongside a concurrent Pennsylvania state drug sentence of 6 to 23 months, which was imposed in March 2013 after an August 2012 traffic stop on I-95 in Tinicum Township, PA. On August 14, 2014, he was transferred out of FCI Schuylkill to a Philadelphia halfway house to complete the remainder of his sentence.[7]
Release and Aftermath
Grant was released from FCI Schuylkill to a Philadelphia halfway house on August 14, 2014. This release was announced publicly, including by DJ Drama on social media.[8] The Bureau of Prisons listed his official release date as December 6, 2014. He served roughly 23 months of the two year term before his transfer to the halfway house, a timeframe consistent with federal good conduct time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What did Beanie Sigel do?
He pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2003 through 2005. Prosecutors said he earned more than $2.2 million between 1999 and 2005 and owed about $728,536 in taxes. (News reports often label this 'tax evasion,' though the charge was failure to file.)
Q: How long was Beanie Sigel's sentence?
U.S. District Judge Jan E. DuBois sentenced him on July 12, 2012 to 24 months (two years) in federal prison plus one year of supervised release. He also served a concurrent Pennsylvania state drug sentence of 6 to 23 months.
Q: Where was Beanie Sigel incarcerated?
He served his federal sentence at FCI Schuylkill, a medium-security Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He was later moved to a Philadelphia halfway house to finish his term.
Q: When was Beanie Sigel released?
He was transferred from FCI Schuylkill to a Philadelphia halfway house on August 14, 2014. The Bureau of Prisons listed his official release date as December 6, 2014.
Q: Who prosecuted the case and who was the judge?
The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul L. Gray, after an IRS Criminal Investigation Division probe. U.S. District Judge Jan E. DuBois imposed the sentence.
See also
References
- ↑ "Dwight Grant a/k/a 'Beanie Sigel' Sentenced for Failing to File Tax Returns (press release)". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Local Rapper Sentenced to 2 Years for Tax Evasion". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Dwight Grant a/k/a 'Beanie Sigel' Sentenced for Failing to File Tax Returns (press release)". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Rapper Beanie Sigel gets two years for tax evasion". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Beanie Sigel: Two Years for Tax Evasion". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "DJ Drama Announces Beanie Sigel's Release From Prison On Twitter". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Report: Beanie Sigel Released From Prison". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "DJ Drama Announces Beanie Sigel's Release From Prison On Twitter". '. Retrieved .