Helio Castroneves Is Indicted on Tax Evasion Charges
Helio Castroneves by Jeff Daly/Getty Images
Helio Castroneves may have had his last dance - but not without some fancy footwork.
The Season 5
Dancing champ pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of federal tax evasion, following indictment on Thursday. Castroneves was released on $10 million bail after a Miami court appearance at which he was shackled in handcuffs and sobbing into a tissue, the
AP says.
Yet, even with the weight of the day's emotion, he vowed to keep fighting. "I'm a race car driver," he said outside the court room. "This is a very difficult situation. I'll be strong and I'll win this race."
The Brazilian race car driver, 33, is accused of funneling $5.5 million in income to a Panamanian shell company from 1999 to 2004. He is being charged with conspiracy and six counts of tax evasion, with each count carrying a maximum sentence of five years.
Also indicted are his sister and business manager, Katiucia Castroneves and his attorney, Alan Miller. Miller's lawyer, Michael Tein, asserted that the trio was accused largely because of their fame. "This case is the height of overreaching," he said.
Castroneves has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, but he's best known outside of racing circles as the 2007
DTWS winner, alongside his lovely dance partner (and rumored partner off the dance floor), Julianne Hough.
Will Castroneves be able to race - or even rumba - away from this legal number? -
Anna Dimond Catch some of
Helio's finer moves with clips in our Online Video Guide.
