‘Survivor’ Star Richard Hatch Heads to Jail Again

Richard Hatch, who won the $1 million prize on the first season of “Survivor,” has reported for his third prison term on tax evasion charges.

Hatch was sentenced by Judge William E. Smith to a nine-month term for still failing to pay taxes on his winnings. Hatch was convicted in 2006 of failing to pay taxes and was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. Hatch has served his three-year jail term, but the judge found that he violated the terms of his supervised release by failing to file amended returns (see ‘Survivor’ Winner Richard Hatch in Tax Trouble Again).

The IRS claims that Hatch owes approximately $1.7 million in unpaid taxes from 2000 and 2001 as of last February. However, Hatch has appealed that finding, and his attorney has claimed that Hatch could not file the amended tax returns until his appeal has been resolved. He now owes an estimated $2 million in taxes and penalties, according to the Associated Press.

“I hope I’m released soon," Hatch said, according to the AP. “But this system is not effective in dealing with the truth. As always, I'll comply with whatever I'm asked to do and continue my pursuit of exoneration.”

Hatch surrendered himself to U.S. Marshals in Providence, R.I., on Monday. While he was out of jail, he appeared in the current season of “Celebrity Apprentice,” competing against the likes of singers David Cassidy, Meat Loaf, Dionne Warwick, and Latoya Jackson, along with baseball player Jose Canseco and actor Gary Busey for a “job” with Donald Trump. Most of the season has been taped in advance, except for the season finale.

Hatch claimed at his sentencing hearing that his taxes are extremely complicated. “As far as I can tell, you’ve made no effort to put any money into the government’s coffers,” Judge Smith told him, according to the New York Post.

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