Soccer Star Will Have to Go to Trial for Alleged Tax Evasion
The ongoing tax saga of soccer star Lionel Messi will continue. That news comes after a judge in Spain ruled that the Barcelona FC star would indeed have to stand trial for tax fraud charges in association with his many endorsement deals with foreign companies. The news comes just days after a report stated that Mr. Messi would not have to go to trial, and that only his father would face the courtroom.
Not So Fast
However, the Spanish judge ruled otherwise and said that Mr. Messi and his father should both have to go to trial. Even though his lawyers argued that Mr. Messi did not have any hands-on dealings with his endorsement contracts, the judge ruled that he “couldn’t have ignored” that a large part of his revenue was coming from foreign companies. If he is convicted, the soccer star could receive a sentence for as long as 22 months.
No Jail Time Likely
However, the good news for Mr. Messi is that even if he is found guilty of the charges he will most likely not spend any time behind bars. That’s because sentences for financial crimes shorter than two years are typically suspended according to Spanish law. In addition, Mr. Messi and his father have reportedly either already paid, or have agreed to pay, the missing tax money, plus interest.
Liberal Arts in the 21st Century | Reed Wilcox
About Reed Wilcox Reed Wilcox is president of Southern Virginia University. He previously served as co-founder and chief development officer, and currently serves on the board of directors of Clene Nanomedicine, a science-based company with proprietary technology integrating nanotechnology, advanced materials science, plasma physics, and biotechnology. Clene’s proprietary nanomedicine technology is a new form of…
Making a Difference | Sharlene Wells Hawkes
About Sharlene Wells Hawkes Sharlene Hawkes was previously VP of Communications with Monarch Health Sciences where she was responsible for all corporate brand communications. Additionally, she was one of the first women to work for ESPN and worked as an award-winning sportscaster nearly 15 years, covering such events as World Cup Soccer, the Kentucky…
The Art and Science of Creating an Album | Chris Shreenan-Dyck
About Chris Shreenan-Dyck Chris Shreenan-Dyck is a renowned Canadian music producer and recording engineer. He was nominated for Engineer Of The Year at the 2012 Juno Awards, and five of the albums he has worked on have won Junos (Canada’s version of the Grammy Award), as well as having received multiple nominations. Chris has…
Rustic Pathways | Chris Stackich
About Chris Stakich Chris is the Chief Executive Officer of Rustic Pathways. An expert on travel and service-based education, Chris leads Rustic Pathways with an eye for innovation and excellence. Since graduating from Harvard in 2001, Chris worked in virtually all areas of our organization, from running programs in Costa Rica to managing our…