Survivor Richard Hatch found guilty in tax case

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, January 25, 2006

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Richard Hatch, who won $1 million in the debut season of the reality show “Survivor,” was found guilty Wednesday of failing to pay taxes on his winnings and taken straight to jail.

Hatch remained calm as the court clerk read the verdict. He waved goodbye to family members, then was handcuffed and taken into custody after U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres said he was a potential flight risk.

The charges carry up to 13 years in prison. Torres said he expected a sentence of between 33 months and 41 months, but it could be longer because prosecutors accused Hatch of committing perjury during his testimony. Sentencing was scheduled for April 28.

Hatch, 44, was also convicted of evading taxes on $327,000 he earned as co-host of a Boston radio show and $28,000 in rent on property he owned.

Hatch’s lawyer, John MacDonald, said he would appeal the verdict, adding that Hatch knew it was possible he would go to jail.

“Rich has been going through this now for three years and he’s prepared himself mentally and emotionally for this date,” MacDonald said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Reich said prosecutors were pleased with the verdict.

Torres said Hatch never accounted for a significant part of his money, including the “Survivor” prize, which he said could be used to flee.

Near the end of the trial, an explanation for Hatch’s failure to pay taxes was raised by his lawyer, but never mentioned in the jury’s presence. Hatch’s lawyer, Michael Minns, said Hatch caught fellow contestants cheating and struck a deal with the show’s producers to pay his taxes if he won. But Hatch was never asked about the allegation when he testified.

Instead, Minns told jurors Hatch was the “world’s worst bookkeeper,” and said his client never meant to do anything wrong.

Hatch testified that he thought producers were supposed to pay his “Survivor” taxes.

More than five years after winning, Hatch remains reality TV’s most famous villain, the man viewers loved to hate. He first captured their attention by shedding his clothes on “Survivor,” prompting David Letterman to nickname him “the fat naked guy.”