Helio Castroneves Found Not Guilty In Tax-Evasion Trial

The ongoing case of Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves has finally ended. The jurors found Mr. Castroneves not guilty of the tax evasion charges he was facing. Check out the following snippet from the MiamiHerald.com on the recent decision.

Indy 500 champ Helio Castroneves survived a potentially devastating crash Friday, acquitted of tax-evasion charges by jurors who struggled for six days to unravel complex evidence on racing-car contracts, tax law and offshore companies.

In the end, jurors found Castroneves and sister Katiucia not guilty on six counts of evading taxes on $5.5 million from race car earnings. The pair sobbed and hugged each other after hearing the decision.

The 12-member Miami federal jury deadlocked on the lead conspiracy charge against the siblings, which prompted U.S. District Judge Donald Graham to declare a mistrial on that count.

The jury also acquitted the Brazilian race car star's sports attorney, Alan R. Miller, on the main conspiracy charge and three other tax evasion counts. Miller was not charged in three other counts of the indictment.

With his legal victory, Castroneves was scheduled to fly immediately from South Florida to California to compete in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for Penske Racing, the team that hired him in late 1999. His contract with the legendary racing organization -- the big break in a career that began as a teenager go-cart racing in Brazil -- was at the core of the government's tax-evasion case.

Flanked by attorneys and an entourage of friends, Castroneves emerged from the downtown federal courthouse, his eyes swollen and red.

He showed off a rosary, proclaimed his faith and interviewed with both U.S. and Brazilian press.

''It's been a nightmare, and finally we wake up,'' said Castroneves, 33, who was sidelined from IndyCar racing during his legal ordeal. ``Instead of going to Disneyland, I want to go to Long Beach and race.''

And then he was off, jumping into a black Porsche Cayenne SUV to take him to Miami International Airport.

Still No Verdict in Castroneves Tax Case

From USA Today.com:

Miami jurors got new instructions today as they deliberate the tax evasion case of Brazilian race car driver Helio Castroneves and two co-defendants.

U.S. District Judge Donald Graham on Wednesday provided new definitions for some complex areas of tax law. Jurors have issued three notes asking questions over four days of deliberations.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, his sister-business manager Katiucia Castroneves and attorney Alan Miller face more than six years in prison if convicted of tax evasion and conspiracy charges. Prosecutors say they set up a Panamanian shell company to hide Castroneves' income. Defense attorneys say they are innocent.

The 33-year-old Castroneves also won TV's "Dancing With The Stars" competition in 2007.

Helio Castronoves Heads to Court for Tax Fraud Case

From Yahoo News:

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and “Dancing With The Stars” champion Helio Castronoves was set to appear in court Friday to face allegations he used offshore accounts to hide millions of dollars in income from the Internal Revenue Service.

The 33-year-old driver was indicted Thursday on charges of conspiracy and six counts of tax evasion for purportedly failing to report to the IRS about $5.5 million in income between 1999 and 2004, according to court documents. Each count carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.

One of his attorneys, David Garvin, said he was disappointed that the tax dispute could not be resolved without criminal charges.

“Helio has always done the appropriate thing and hired accountants and attorneys he relied upon,” Garvin said. “We are of the strong belief that he did not do anything wrong. We’re looking forward to going to court.”