PROVIDENCE -- Richard Hatch didn't win any immunity challenge in court yesterday.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres denied three motions filed on behalf of the 44-year-old Newport man, whose sometimes-naked TV performance on the first Survivor show won him a $1-million prize -- and tax troubles.
Hatch was named in a 10-count indictment in September charging him with failing to pay taxes on his TV winnings, as well as income from a radio program, rental income and charitable donations he allegedly used for himself.
Hatch has pleaded innocent to the charges.
Yesterday Torres denied Hatch's motions to continue his court case, to separate some of the counts against him and to have the government specify how much in taxes he owes, said court spokesman Tom Connell.
Jury selection in the case is scheduled to begin Jan. 10.
Hatch is charged with two counts of tax evasion, one count of filing a false income tax return, two counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud and one count of bank fraud.
The U.S. Attorney's Office moved forward with the case after Hatch walked away from a plea agreement. He said that they wanted him to serve two years in prison.
The grand jury alleges that Hatch failed to report about $1,037,000 from Survivor in 2000 and 2001, including a Pontiac Aztec valued at $27,074 that was given to him as part of his prize.
It also alleges that Hatch failed to report $326,540 that Entercom, Boston, LLC, paid him in 2001 for appearances on The Wilde Show, a radio program on WQSX-FM; $28,104 in rental income in 2000 and 2001 from his property at 21 Annandale Rd., Newport; and $36,500 in charitable donations to Horizon Bound.
Hatch allegedly set up Horizon Bound as a charity to help troubled teenagers and accepted those donations, but the indictment said he used the money for his personal expenses.
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