“Dancing With the Stars” Season 5 winner Helio Castroneves is in custody at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami, Florida, Access Hollywood has learned.
The professional race car driver awaits an appearance before a judge, which is scheduled at 1:30 PM EST.
Castroneves is expected to be released on a bond three to four hours after his appearance in court.
A rep for Penske Racing told Access Castroneves will return to Atlanta this evening, where he is scheduled to race in the Petit Le Mans on Saturday.
“We’re looking forward to having him back in the car,” the Penske spokesperson told Access.
As previously reported on Access, Castroneves will face a total of seven charges – one count of conspiracy and six counts of tax evasion.
The Sao Paolo-bred Brazilian’s sister, Katiucia Castroneves, who is Helio’s business manager, is also facing charges, as is his attorney, Alan Miller.
The charges stem from what authorities claim is failure to pay over $5 million in taxes.
In indictment information released on Thursday and obtained by Access, the driver is accused of having earned $600K for a deal with Coimex, a Brazilian import and export company, for which U.S. officials claim he only reported $50K on his income tax.
They also claim Helio, his sister and lawyer “engaged in a scheme to avoid paying taxes on $5,000,000,” stemming from a licensing agreement. The trio allegedly developed a “deferred royalty plan,” according to officials, which required Penske, the organization Helio races for, to send the money to an offshore company.
On Thursday, a rep for Penske confirmed to Access that Castroneves had been ordered to surrender in Miami on Friday, October 3., he also confirmed that that the star had been notified by his attorney about the indictment.
A man who answered Castroneves’ cell phone on Thursday morning told Access that the star is currently was at Le Mans. The Penske rep confirmed Castroneves was indeed practicing at Road Atlanta where the Petite Le Mans race (in which he is due to compete), will be held on Saturday.
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