Staten Island, Oct 5 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The thirty-eight year old Staten Island rap artist, producer and actor popularly known as the Method Man was arrested for evading his taxes to the tune of $ 32,799.

Method Man, whose real name is Clifford Smith is currently at the 120 Police Precinct stationhouse in St. George awaiting arraignment, according to a law-enforcement source. He could end up doing four years in jail in case he gets convicted.

“Taxes are a burden that all citizens share in a civil society, whether you are an “average Joe” on the street or a high-profile rap artist,” Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan said.

“Our taxes help support education, health care, transportation services and other important government programs,” said New York State of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Jamie Woodward. “Those who willfully avoid paying their income taxes hurt honest citizens who play by the rules and must now make up the difference. State taxpayers can rest assured that the Tax Department is committed to seeing that the tax laws are equitably and impartially enforced and that all taxpayers, especially those who can most afford to do so, pay their fair share. I thank District Attorney Donovan and his staff for their help in bringing this individual to justice,” he added.

He is a divorcee with four children and in 1995, he shared a Grammy Award with

Mary J. Blige for their song “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By.”

This is not his first brush with the law. His Lincoln Navigator was repossessed in 2008, when he had a whooping amount of $52,503 in arrears. And in 2007, he was busted for marijuana possession and for driving under the influence of alcohol.