News surfaced this morning (Sept. 30) out of a Newark, New Jersey courthouse that Grammy-Award winning singer-songwriter, Mario Winans, plead guilty to federal income tax evasion.
NBC New York reports that Winans, 42, admitted to intentionally neglecting “to file tax returns from 2008-2012” on an income of $2.28 million. The producer’s total in owed back-taxes is $434,968, and he could receive a two year sentence in prison, which will be decided at his next court hearing on Jan. 24. His attorney, Aidan P. O’Connor, also shared a statement on behalf of his client. “Mr. Winans made a mistake. He regrets it and is doing everything he can to fix it now.”
Winans rose to musical stardom with the Bad Boy Records release of his Grammy nominated album, Hurt No More. The project featured one of the album’s breakout hits, “I Don’t Wanna Know.” He didn’t win his first gramophone for that project, but instead took home the hardware as a writer and producer of aunt CeCe Winans’ stirring melody, “Pray” in the Best Gospel Performance section.
Also known for his pen game, Winans has written songs for Danity Kane, 112, Day 26, and most recently, he received writing credits for Kanye West’s “All Day.”