WESLEY SNIPES became a wanted man last night after the Hollywood actor was charged with defrauding the US Government of $12 million (£6.45 million) in taxes.

An arrest warrant was issued for the star of Jungle Fever and White Men Can’t Jump on tax fraud charges that could bring him a sentence of up to 16 years. The 44-year-old actor broke into Hollywood in the 1986 film Wildcats, which starred Goldie Hawn, and is perhaps best known for action roles such as the heroic half-human, half-vampire he plays in the Blade trilogy.

He has made dozens of films, including Mo’ Better Blues, Waiting to Exhale and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. In the coming weeks, he is due to start filming an historical epic in South Africa with Angela Bassett and Don Cheadle based on the life of Toussaint L’Ouverture, who led the late-18thcentury slave rebellion that triggered the Haitian Revolution.

Paul Perez, a federal prosecutor in Florida, said that Snipes had not been arrested because authorities did not know his whereabouts. “We’ve spoken to his former attorneys over the weekend,” Mr Perez said. “We presume that he knows and, of course, after this press conference he will definitely know.”

Snipes, who has a home near Orlando, Florida, was charged along with two other men from Florida — Eddie Ray Kahn and Douglas Rosile — in a scheme to cheat on income taxes. Mr Rosile has surrendered to authorities and Mr Kahn is believed to be in Panama.

The indictment alleged that Snipes failed to file income tax returns from 1999 to 2004 and conspired with Mr Kahn and Mr Rosile to file two amended returns for himself for 1996 and 1997, fraudulently claiming tax refunds of almost $12 million.

Mr Kahn is described as the founder of American Rights Litigators and its successor, Guiding Light of God Ministries, both based in Florida. Mr Rosile was an accountant who prepared tax returns for members of the Litigators.

The indictment said that American Rights Litigators claimed to be an organisation which used aggressive accountants to protect Americans’ rights. Its successor “held itself out as a Christian ministry . . . established to assist men and women in their pursuit of truth and freedom as Americans”.

The indictment added: “In reality, ARL and GLGM were for-profit, commercial enterprises that promoted and sold fraudulent tax schemes.”

Prosecutors said that the tax advisors claimed refunds on the basis of the discredited “861 argument”, asserting that US citizens could be taxed only on income from activities overseas. The indictment said that American Rights Litigators would get 20 per cent of tax refunds obtained by its clients.

Mr Perez said: “Those who intentionally and unlawfully harass the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) through deceit, trickery and fraud undermine the collection of revenue that is vital to every aspect of our Government.”