A federal racketeering probe of rap music chief Marion “Suge” Knight and Death Row Records has ended with the filing of a misdemeanor tax charge against the company.
Under an agreement filed Tuesday in federal court, Death Row would plead guilty to failing to submit an income tax return, pay a $100,000 fine and reimburse the government an unspecified amount of unpaid taxes.
An official with the U.S. Attorney’s office declined to discuss the case Wednesday.
On Monday the U.S. attorney’s office gave a one-page letter to Knight’s lawyer stating that no charges would be filed against Knight, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“The truth is the truth,” Knight said. “I appreciate the fact that, after looking into these lies and finding nothing, they had the integrity to say, ‘OK, this guy broke no law,’ and called it off.”
Court documents showed Death Row failed to pay taxes on $825,716 in income generated between Dec. 1, 1995, and Nov. 30, 1996. Knight blamed a former accountant, whose firm paid an $8 million settlement to Death Row after a lengthy legal battle.
Knight’s father, Marion Knight Sr., pleaded guilty Tuesday to the tax offense, according to the court filing. He could be placed on five years probation because he’s an officer of Death Row.
