Richard Hatch,
the openly gay winner of the first season of Survivor , was sentenced to four years and three months
in prison for tax evasion. He will also be required to
undergo psychiatric counseling upon his release, and he will
have to file amended tax returns for 2000 and 2001
that reflect his earnings and winnings for those
years. U.S. district court judge Ernest Torres told
the courtroom that he was handing down a harsher sentence
because Hatch had lied repeatedly regarding his
finances. "His testimony is replete with statements
that are flatly contradicted by credible witnesses and
documented evidence," said Torres, although Hatch said later
that he stood behind everything he had said during the
trial.
Hatch originally
faced 10 counts against him--including charges of
bank, mail, and wire fraud--but a trial in
January acquitted him of all but three counts. Had he
been found guilty of all charges, he faced as many as
73 years in prison and a fine of $1.35 million. The court
determined that Hatch had failed to pay taxes on $1.43
million, which included his million-dollar
Survivor prize as well as money from other
sources. (The Advocate)