Beanie Sigal the South Philly-born Lansdale resident this afternoon was sentenced to 24-months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jan E. Dubois for failing to file federal income tax returns, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Philly has announced. Sigel, whose real name is Dwight Grant, pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2011. U.S. District Judge Jan DuBois also imposed a year of supervised release after the sentence during which time Sigel is supposed to pay all back taxes, interest and penalties he owes. DuBois gave Sigel, 38, who appeared for sentencing in a gray, short-sleeve polo shirt and baggy denim jeans, until Sept. 12 to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons. IRS investigators found that Sigel did not file tax returns from 1999 through 2002, except for a $10,000 tax payment in 2001. Federal prosecutors said that Sigel earned more than $2.2 million in taxable income between 1999 and 2005 and owed Uncle Sam $728,536 for those six years. (He was not charged with tax offenses for the years 1999 through 2002 because the statute of limitations had expired.) Sigel told DuBois he accepted “total responsibility” for not paying his taxes but also told the court some family members he didn’t identify abused his trust in them and took advantage of his earnings to live it up while he was serving time in 2004 and 2005 for federal drug and gun offenses.

Consequently, “I haven’t been able to get my career back on track since,” Sigel said, adding that he “didn’t live a lavish lifestyle” while dodging his taxes. DuBois reminded Sigel that even if others “diverted” his earnings for their personal benefit “it was your call not to pay taxes.” Federal prosecutors had sought a guideline sentence of three years, but DuBois said two years was sufficient to meet the goals of sentencing. “I think you might have violated the tax code for the last time,” the judge said.