Federal appeals panel considers actor Wesley Snipes’ appeal of conviction in tax case

Federal panel considers Wesley Snipes’ appeal

ATLANTA — A federal appeals panel is considering whether the arrest of actor Wesley Snipes’ former financial adviser could pave the way for a new trial on tax evasion charges.

Snipes was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison in 2008, but his attorneys asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to allow a new request to dismiss the movie star’s conviction or grant him a new trial.

The motion centers on the arrest of Kenneth Starr, the one-time financial adviser to Snipes and other celebrities.

He was a key witness in Snipes’ 2008 trial but was charged in May with securities fraud worth $59 million.