Wesley Snipes goes to prison.

The famed Wesley Snipes has been sentenced to prison, and for once, it’s no Paris Hilton-esque stint: he’s going for 3 years.

It was Denzel Washington and not Wesley Snipes who recently played the “American Gangster,” but perhaps it should have been the other way around; Snipes was sentenced to prison on 3 counts of misdemeanor Tax Evasion… in other words, he didn’t file 3 returns. Interestingly, 3 years is the maximum sentence for such a crime.

According to the Justice Dept’s Tax Division, Snipes’ sentencing “should send a loud and crystal clear message to all tax defiers that if they engage in similar tax defier conduct, they face joining him.”

From CNN:

Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman said the law is clear on taxes. “There is no secret formula that eliminates a person’s tax obligations, nor are there any special exceptions,” he said. “The majority of Americans pay their taxes timely and accurately. Those who willfully violate the law must be held accountable.”

Beware, Mr. Snipes: the term “Blade” has a slightly different definition in prison.