Rapper Ja Rule Sentenced to Prison Time for Tax Evasion

Jeffrey Atkins, better-known as the 35-year-old rapper Ja Rule, was sentenced to 28 months in prison on Monday after admitting to not filing tax returns for five years. The Saddle River, New Jersey native was also ordered to pay over $1.1 million in unpaid taxes on record royalties and live performances.

According to U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman, Atkins failed to report both the music-royalty income from ASJA Inc. and from performance-related income from Rule Tours Inc. — Atkins is the sole shareholder for both companies — from 2004 to 2008.

Atkins previously pled guilty to the charges in a federal court in Newark in late March. As part of his guilty plea, Atkins promised to file true and accurate tax returns and to pay the government the tax loss of approximately $1.1 million.

The rapper is already in prison serving a two-year sentence in New York on a gun charge. The new tax evasion sentence is to be served concurrently with the gun charge, and is expected to add at least four months to his time in jail.

In addition to the prison sentence, Atkins has been sentenced to one year of supervised release.