Tuesday, May 16, 2006; Posted: 1:37 p.m. EDT (17:37 GMT)
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) -- Richard Hatch, who won $1 million in the debut season of "Survivor," was sentenced Tuesday to 51 months in prison for failing to pay income taxes on his reality TV prize and other earnings.
Hatch, 45, was convicted in January. The charges carried a maximum of 13 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres said he issued a harsher than expected sentence because Hatch had committed perjury repeatedly during his trial.
"It seems unfortunately very clear to me that Mr. Hatch lied," Torres said.
When Hatch was convicted, Torres said he expected to sentence him to 33 to 41 months.
"I believe I've been completely truthful and completely forthcoming throughout the entire process," Hatch told the judge before he was sentenced.
Hatch claimed he thought the show's producers would pay his taxes and pleaded ignorance about money matters, saying he forgot to tell his accountants about some income.
"Survivor" earned CBS a ratings hit. Hatch became known as "the fat naked guy" -- a term coined by David Letterman -- for refusing to wear clothes for much of the show.
Hatch sowed seeds of conflict among his competitors, and an estimated 51 million viewers were watching when he received his winning check.
At times, he seemed to handle his criminal case like an extended reality TV competition. He abruptly walked away from a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded his innocence to Katie Couric on the "Today" show.
Hatch has been in a jail in Plymouth, Massachusetts, since his conviction.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Lawyer: 'It's bad for Richard, who is an outdoor person'
Monday, July 24, 2006; Posted: 2:10 p.m. EDT (18:10 GMT)
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) -- Richard Hatch has been sent to a federal prison in Oklahoma as he serves a 51-month sentence for failing to pay taxes on the $1 million he won on the debut season of "Survivor."
Hatch, 45, of Newport, Rhode Island, arrived last week at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City.
It wasn't immediately clear why Hatch was moved or whether he will serve out his prison sentence at the facility.
The Oklahoma prison is a hub for prisoners transferring through the federal system.
A federal jury convicted Hatch in January of failing to pay taxes on the "Survivor" prize and other income.
He was sentenced in May to 51 months in prison by a judge who said the reality TV star had lied repeatedly on the witness stand.
Hatch had previously been held at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts.
He would prefer to serve his sentence near family in Rhode Island or in Florida, said his lawyer, Michael Minns.
"He should be in a camp," Minns said. "The camps are the most comfortable of the uncomfortable. They are still jails, but they get to see the sky and be outside.
He added, "It's bad for Richard, who is an outdoor person."
Hatch became known on the CBS show as the "fat naked guy" for refusing to wear clothes.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
05-16-2006 08:38 PM
Don't we have people on here who love being nekkid? 
