After spending the night in jail and pleading not guilty to evading $1.7 million in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, DMX walked out of a federal court in New York on Friday (July 14) on a $500,000 bond, The Washington Post reports.
The Yonkers, NY rapper was arrested Thursday (July 13), slapped with a $1.7 million tax lien and charged with 14 counts of tax evasion. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York City claims X, whose real name is Earl Simmons, has been accused of neglecting to pay his taxes in the early 2000s off chart-topping songs including “X Gon’ Give it to Ya,” as well as appearances in movies such as “Romeo Must Die” and show performances.
After being released, DMX sounded optimistic of his future regarding the case.
“It’s allowed me to not be scared of the situation and face it head-on, you know what I’m saying?” the multi-platinum hip-hop artist told reporters outside the courthouse. “My life is in God’s hands.”
Prosecutors claim he funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars in music royalty income into his managers’ bank accounts. The managers then allegedly took their fees and gave the rest to Simmons.
If found guilty, DMX could face up to 44 years in a federal prison.
