Survivor star wants to finish sentence in Buenos Aires
2:46 PM Thu, Apr 09, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, RI -- Survivor star Richard Hatch wants to serve his time on supervised release in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and to be free to travel the world to make guest appearances on the popular reality show. Hatch filed a motion in U.S. District Court this week asking for travel freedom and to live in Argentina because he is married to an Argentinian national whose family is unable to travel to the United States. The federal government is opposing the motion, arguing that his sentence requires that he complete mental health counseling, file amended tax returns for 2000 and 2001, and pay $400,000 in back taxes. Hatch has not filed corrected tax returns or paid any of the taxes owed, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Reich wrote. He "describes himself as 'a rational, non-smoking, drug-free and responsible citizen ... ' who is not in need of supervision," Reich wrote. "He overlooks the fact, however, that [former Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest C.] Torres found that Hatch is in need of supervision, including mental health counseling. Part of his reasoning in this regard was based on the fact the [sic] Hatch perjured himself extensively during the trial." Hatch, 47, of Newport, is serving his sentence in a federal prison in Morgantown, W.Va. He won the first season of the seminal CBS show and became infamous as the calculating and openly gay contestant who competed in the nude. In 2006, a federal jury found Hatch guilty of not paying the taxes he owed on about $1.4 million, including the $1 million prize he collected for winning the first season of the reality show. He was convicted of filing false tax returns and given the maximum sentence allowed after Torres concluded that he had obstructed justice when he "willfully gave false testimony." Hatch is due to be released to a halfway house May 12. Six months later his supervised release would begin. 
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OMG, Let the man go....he's paid his dues and served time in prison. Really, in the grand scheme of things, what he did was wrong ( and he has paid for it) but it wasn't life threatening to anyone and he wasn't a "danger" to the community. Too bad these same judges that want to punish so severely for a tax cheat, don't feel the same way about people who repeatedly drive with a suspended license and refuse breathalyzer tests...you know, the ones who go on to kill people on the road while drunk driving. Why aren't those people punished severely after a 2nd or 3rd offense and put in jail for a long time? NOOOOO, the RI judges wait until they kill someone first. Just look at today's front page
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Just making that request to a Federal Court alone proves this guy needs mental health counseling. Narcissism personified!
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This guy is not news in any way, shape, or form so why was he given this forum?
And whatever happened to his son he was acused of abusing?
Married to an Agentinian whose family are unable to travel to the U.S. Wow. That sounds a bit dubious. Ship him to an Agentinian jail to finish his term.
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K-
Hatch is jailed longer then others due to the fact that he repeatedly lied on the stand. He offered and continues to offer up excuses that insult the intelligence of a flea. He was give an opportunity to plea bargain which he pulled out of at the last second. He has also continued to refuse to accept responsibility for filing a tax form that he was told by his accountant not to file.
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Even though he is a star, he should have to serve his time HERE. That's the point, he is supposed to be punished, not go cavorting off to Argentina for fun and games. If you look up to this loser, pehaps YOU need counseling.
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Let him go to Argentina or Australia or Tasmania or Antartica - on a one-way ticket.
This man is no longer news in any way, shape or form.
He just needs to GO AWAY!
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Maybe when he gets out he can run for office. At least we know he's a crook beforehand.
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