As expected, entertainer Lauryn Hill has pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion.
Ms. Hill did not speak after the recent hearing but her attorney indicated that she was prepared to pay the tax due on the nearly $2 million she failed to report in 2005, 2006, and 2007. As a result, her sentencing was moved to allow her the opportunity to arrange for payment.
With the plea, Ms. Hill faces up to a year in prison on each of the charges. Most agree that it’s highly unlikely that she’ll see that kind of time since the mother of six has been cooperating with authorities.
The award-winning singer raised eyebrows when she posted a lengthy public response to the charges on Tumblr, saying that she had gone “underground” in order to live without “being manipulated and controlled by a media protected military-industrial complex with a completely different agenda.” While her fans decried the idea that she might have some mental health issues, the judge apparently believes differently, requiring Ms. Hill to undergo mental health counseling as a condition of her bail; she also posted $150,000 as security.
This time, Ms. Hill did not offer a statement about the plea or the charges, saying when asked if she had a comment: “Indirectly, I’ve been advised my ability to speak out directly is for another time, at sentencing.”
Her sentencing is scheduled for November 27.
