METHOD MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO TAX EVASION! PAYS $106,000 IN RESTITUTION!

Method Man agreed to pay the tax man Monday.
The Wu-Tang Clan rapper and film star pleaded guilty in Staten Island Criminal Court to tax evasion charges and forked over $106,000 in restitution.

"Whether you are a celebrity or an 'Average Joe,' you will be investigated, arrested and prosecuted," said Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan.

Method Man, whose real name is Clifford Smith, failed to file New York State income tax returns from 2004 to 2007, Donovan said.

The 39-year-old Staten Island resident was busted in October 2007 on the misdemeanor charges.

"There are those who attempt to evade paying their taxes in every profession, from blue collar jobs to high-wage earners in the medical and legal fields," said Jamie Woodward, acting commissioner of the state Department of Taxation and Finance, whose office helped investigate the Grammy winner.

"When people cheat, all New Yorkers end up paying more of the tax burden - taxes that pay for essential services such as health care, education and transportation."

Method Man pleaded guilty to attempted tax evasion, a misdemeanor and received a conditional discharge.

His lawyer, Peter Frankel, said it was unfair to call the entertainer a tax cheat.

"He's a busy guy and he had people who he thought were handling his business and they weren't," Frankel said. "He's a good man. He made a mistake and he took care of it."