Exclusive: Judge Rips “Broke” Mario Winans At Tax Fraud Sentencing

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 21: Mario Winans performs onstage during the Puff Daddy and The Family Bad Boy Reunion Tour presented by Ciroc Vodka and Live Nation at Barclays Center on May 21, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation )

The judge also said it was a disgrace that Winans was failing to support his tween son, Jordan, and ordered that back and current child-support be paid immediately. New Jersey cops arrested Winans earlier this month because he owed $178,000 in back support for the boy.

“You made the decision to go behind Joy’s (his wife) back,” Judge Salas said. “This is your son and you have to pay your obligations to him now and forever.”

Winans declined to comment outside of court, but during the hearing, he begged for mercy And said that his crime was born out of “procrastination through fear”.

“ I understand that I have to get my life in order,” he said. “It has been a tremendous lesson for me to deal with this…” I promise you that I will do better and get my life together.”

The judge was livid, telling Winans that he had to stop spending so frivolously and start paying back the IRS and his nearly $200,000 in back child support.

“I’m gonna give you a shot,” she told Winans. “But you have to fly straight.”

Federal prosecutors pushed for prison time, and said that the IRS tried to rectify the debt with Winans 26 times, but he ignored them.

Winan’s lawyer Aidan O’Connor said his client made a bunch of bad money choices, but was not knowingly trying to avoid paying taxes.

“He is in some sense a very sophisticated musician,” O’Connor told the judge, “but a somewhat unsophisticated person when it comes to his finances.”