Cristiano Ronaldo Gets Two-Year Prison Sentence & $22 Million Fine for Tax Fraud
According to reports, Cristiano Ronaldo has reached a settlement with Spanish public prosecutors on four counts of tax fraud and been given two-year prison sentence, which as a first-time offender he is not expected to serve, and a fine of approximately $22 million.
The deal struck between Ronaldo, prosecutors, and Spain's Solicitor General’s Office has been accepted by the Spanish Treasury, and in exchange for a guilty plea, the star will avoid jail time.
Between 2011 and 2014, the former Real Madrid man avoided €14,768,897 in taxes (approximately $17.1 million). The sum of taxes Ronaldo will pay to the treasury has been reduced to €5.7 million ($6.6 million), but interest and court fees bring the final total owed up to just under €19 million ($22 million).
The new reports appear to confirm a story from early June, just as the World Cup was kicking off, that said Ronaldo had “accepted” a two-year prison sentence and multi-million dollar fine but would avoid serving time as this was his first offense.
Other footballers, including Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria, have received similar sentences for tax evasion in Spain in the past.
In related news, Ronaldo’s medical stats prove he might just be superhuman. Read more here.