Wesley Snipes, was sentenced on Thursday to the maximum penalty of three years in prison for three misdemeanor convictions.

Los Angeles - The Associated Press reports that Blade star, Wesley Snipes, was sentenced on Thursday to the maximum penalty of three years in prison for three misdemeanor convictions.

The 45-year-old actor reportedly failed to file a tax return for 1999-2001, amounting to $2.7 million owed in back taxes as he earned about $13.8 million during those years.

“In my mind these are serious crimes, albeit misdemeanors.” U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges said. “One of the main purposes which drives selective prosecution in tax cases is deterrence. . . In some instances, that means those of celebrity stand greater risk of prosecution. But there’s nothing unusual about it, nor is there anything unlawful about it. It’s the way the system works.”