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Helio Castroneves, the 33 year-old Brazilian Indy car driver and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ sensation, has been accused of ripping off the US government by failing to pay taxes on about $5.5 million. Seven counts of tax evasion and conspiracy were handed out to Castroneves as he stood in court in leg irons and hand cuffs and wept on Friday.  If those dues were paid he would only be a million dollars in the hole, but now he might be in a hole for up to 35 years. He entered a not guilty plea and was released on a $10 million bond, saying he would win in this race against the IRS.  Meanwhile his sister/business manager and his attorney are also facing charges.  His passport has been revoked, but a condition of his release enabled him to travel within the US to race. He is arguable Indy racing’s second biggest star behind Danica Patrick. However, he managed to be overlooked by the US government until he won “Dancing with the Stars” in 2007.  His two Indy 500 victories weren’t enough to get there attention.  The tax evasions they are speaking of occurred between 1999 and 2004, when Castroneves was launching into stardom in the Indy circuit with Penske racing.  But with the popularity of NASCAR and Patrick, Helio remained under the radar until his appearance on the ABC reality show.— posted by Robert Shipton

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