Castroneves tax jury resumes deliberations

MIAMI, April 14 (UPI) -- Jury deliberations resumed Tuesday in the Miami tax-evasion trial of Indy 500 champ Helio Castroneves.

The case of the Brazilian racing star, accused of conspiring with others to avoid paying $2.3 million in U.S. taxes on $5.5 million in income, went to the U.S. District Court jury on Friday, The Miami Herald reported Tuesday.

Prosecutors say Castroneves, a U.S. resident who has lived in Miami since 1997, owes taxes on $530,000 he received from a Brazilian trading company that sponsored him a decade ago and on $5 million from a licensing deal with Penske Racing reached in 1999.

Castroneves, 33, maintains he owes no U.S. taxes on the trading company earnings because the payments were made to his father, who lives in Brazil. Defense attorneys say his Penske income went to a Dutch annuity account, from which he has not yet started receiving income, the Herald said.

Castroneves, his sister/manager, Katiucia Castroneves, and his attorney Alan Miller face could each face at least five years in prison if found guilty, the newspaper said.