'Survivor' Star Richard Hatch Released From Prision
"Survivor" television star Richard Hatch walked out the front doors of a state prison on Monday in Cranston, R.I., after serving a nine-month sentence for failing to pay back taxes.
Hatch, the winner of the first season of the CBS reality show "Survivor," was released Monday, a state prison official said.
As Hatch left the correctional facility he said, “Always leaving feels good, since now I can say I've done that a couple of times. It's a tragedy," Hatch told NBC 10 News.
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Hatch, 50, served six weeks at a state minimum security facility as a transition after spending most of his time at a federal prison in West Virginia.
Hatch, who is a Newport resident, had spent more than three years in prison for not paying taxes on his $1 million "Survivor" winnings from the first season. He was released in 2009 and ordered to re-file his 2000 and 2001 taxes and pay what he owed.
He went back to prison in March for violating the terms of his supervised release by failing to settle his tax bill. He had told the judge that he was "financially destitute," according to AP.
"I never evaded taxes. I still maintain that's the truth, and I certainly didn't violate probation, which is what I was sent back here for," Hatch said to NBC 10.
Hatch said Monday night he was "happy" to have been released but didn't know where he would be staying.
He did stay positive when asked what he planned to do next, “Good question. I've got a lot on my plate. I've got a lot of possibilities. I'm a confident guy. I'm sure something good will come along. I have a really interesting show idea. I think I have a deal already. So, we'll see," according to NBC 10.
