Lauryn Hill pleads guilty to evading taxes

Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, today to three counts of failing to file federal income tax returns.

Hill, 37, a hip hop singer and rapper best known as a member of the Fugees and for a Grammy-winning 1998 solo album, pleaded guilty to failing to file federal returns between 2005 and 2007, despite an income of more than US$1.8 million primarily from film and recording royalties.

Her sentencing date was set for sometime in late November. She was released on US$150,000 bail.

Hill responded to the charges earlier this month in a lengthy statement, saying she had chosen to "defer" payments during a period of withdrawal from society to protect her family's safety.