Defense rests in Snipes tax trial

OCALA , Fla., Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Wesley Snipes' defense attorneys rested Monday morning in the Hollywood actor's federal tax-evasion trial in Florida.

Snipes faces up to 16 years in prison if convicted.

"The government didn't make its case," People.com quoted Snipes' lawyer Robert Bernhoft as saying. "There were a lot of witnesses ready to step up to testify on his behalf."

Bernhoft insisted prosecutors failed to prove Snipes intentionally flouted tax laws when he neglected to file tax returns from 1999 through 2004.

"It's very effective to rest the defense and not waste the jury's time with some dog-and-pony show defense that's absolutely unnecessary," Bernhoft said, explaining why he didn't call any witnesses. "It would have been real easy for us to drag a bunch of celebrities through here and try and give the jury some big show. That's not what this is about."