Please close if already posted... The criminal tax evasion trial of former Spurs forward Carl V. Herrera began Monday with his defense lawyer portraying the Venezuelan national sympathetically as a poor but talented kid caught up in the whirlwind of success and later battered by bad fortune, including sick and elderly parents and a career-threatening injury. Herrera, who is alleged to owe more than $540,000 in taxes from 1994 to 1997, had lost his livelihood, was losing his house and had to take care of a father with Parkinson's disease and a mother suffering from schizoid behavior when the Internal Revenue Service came calling in 2000 seeking the back taxes, said defense lawyer Charles Muller. "Herrera did what other people do," Muller said. "He froze up and didn't know what to do." Meanwhile, prosecutors said that Herrera, 40, who was a member of two Houston Rockets championship teams before playing with the Spurs from 1995 to 1998 and was out of the NBA not long afterward, had resources and deliberately hid his assets to avoid his debts, in violation of the law. "He knew what he was doing," Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas McHugh told the federal jury. Herrera flew in for the trial, expected to last three or four days, from Caracas, where he is attempting to play with a local club despite injury, Muller said. His mother lives at a nursing home in San Antonio. Link: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...tories/MYSA080707.taxevasion.e-n.c2aceb3.html 2 cents: I hate to see it, as Herrera was one of my favorite role players, even if he did join the dark side or Spurs. I saw they are sending Ron Isley (of the Isley Bros.) to jail for 3-4 yrs for something similar. There's a lesson here somewhere...
This is an example of a good title... it intrigued me too read. The story is only mildly interesting but the title is great.
I remember when an opponent came down from a rebound and dislocated Amigo's shoulder. That looked painful.
This seems to be a perfect opportunity for Carl Herrera to take up his lawyerly duty to fulfill his loyal admiration for Carl Herrera.
Sounds like he already has a lawyer, and much needed, too. You really do NOT play around with when the IRS comes knocking.
agreed. But couldn't Carlitos just not pay it and stay in venezuela? What's the government going to do, invade the country? I mean It's only 540,000. i remember Amigo signed an autograph for me at memorial city mall once, not many athletes take the time to do things for the people anymore .
Les doesn't owe Carl anything. He was paid for his services. Why should Les pay for his mistakes in money management?
This really sucks. I loved that guy back in the day even if he was a scrub. Don't mess with the IRS!!!!!!
