Lionel Messi, Father Jorge Sentenced To 21 Months In Jail For Tax Fraud

Lionel Messi and his father Jorge were sentenced to 21 months in jail on Wednesday. A statement from a court in Barcelona found them guilty of three counts of tax fraud. The statement also added that the sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court.

Messi and his father were accused of defrauding the government of 4.2 million euros ($4.7 million) between 2007 and 2009.

The court also ordered Messi to pay a fine of around 2 million euros ($2.21 million) and his father to pay 1.5 million euros. Messi and his father are unlikely to go to jail as under the Spanish law a jail sentence under two years can be served under probation.