Fat Joe Sentenced to Four Months In Jail: ‘This is the last place I thought I’d be.’

Not so great news for rapper Fat Joe (real name Joseph Cartagen). On Monday, the 42-year-old was sentenced to four months in prison Monday over his earlier admission that he failed to file federal income taxes for two years. He pleaded guilty in December to failing to pay taxes on more than $1 million of income in 2007 and in 2008. During the sentencing, the judge said she took into account for sentencing the government’s allegation that Fat Joe failed to pay taxes on some $3 million in income for the years 2007 through 2010. Federal prosecutors said the total tax loss to the government for those four years was $718,038.

The case was prosecuted in New Jersey because some of the companies he earns money from; including his Somerville, N.J.-based Terror Squad Production Inc., and Miramar Music Touring Inc., are incorporated in the state. He also earned income from FJTS Corp., during the time in question. In a courtroom packed with family members and supporters, he apologized and spoke of growing up in a the Bronx projects surrounded by guns, drugs and “violence all around.”

I did everything I could to achieve what I could, to move my family; I tried to stay positive, focus on the positive, and get myself out. I guess I’m surprised, caused I worked so hard to not end up in court, that I’m here. This is the last place I thought I would be.

Fat Joe’s attorney said that he had liquidated his retirement account to start paying the money back. In addition to the prison term, he was also sentenced to one year of supervised release and fined $15,000. He must report to prison by Aug. 26.