American action star Wesley Snipes was ordered to start serving a three-year jail sentence earlier today after a Florida Judge rejected the actor's appeal for a new trial.
U.S. District Judge Terrell Hodges revoked the 48-year-old star's bail and ordered him to report to prison.
It is still not clear though when or where he will begin serving his sentence though
Snipes' Atlanta based lawyer, Daniel Meachum had lodged an appeal seeking a new trial on the grounds that jurors in the original trial were biased and that the star witness for the prosecution had his own criminal troubles.
But the Judge flatly refused: 'The defendant Snipes had a fair trial. The time has come for the judgement to be enforced,' he said in his ruling.
Snipes' prison sentence stems from his 2008 conviction relating to three misdemeanor tax charges for failing to file returns for 1999 through 2001.
Prosecutors have claimed the Blade star, who is a resident of Windemere, Florida, had earned more than $38million since 1999 but had failed to pay a single dime in tax or file a return.
Meachum told local newspaper, The Orlando Sentinel that the ruling was 'just shocking'.
Going on to say: 'Wesley is very disappointed but staying strong and positive.'
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