Dolce and Gabbana Sentenced to 20 Months in Italian Prison

Dolce and Gabbana Sentenced to 20 Months in Italian Prison

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, the legendary designer duo whose billion-dollar fashion empire has been embroiled in a $1.3-billion tax evasion case, were sentenced to almost two years in prison today, Reuters reports — but they probably won't serve any jail time in what would no doubt be one of the stranger times behind bars in celebrity history.

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The case stems from the designers' actions in 2004, when they sold their brand to a holding company in Luxembourg, Gado. That was so they could allegedly sneak out of taxes on 1 billion euros worth of royalties. Their persecution, Lisa Jucca of Reuters reported yesterday, is a result of how "cash-strapped Italy has recently stepped up action on tax evasion." But don't cry for D&G, who are denying the charges. (After the duo lost an appeal and were find earlier this year, Gabbana launched one of his frequent Twitter rants to dispute accusations, The Telegraph reported.) But due to the "complexity and length of the appeals process," Reuters reports, they will likely not serve any of their one-year-and-eight-month sentence, although that really would be something. 

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In other news, The Times of London's Hilary Rose reports that Dolce and Gabbana are going to transform British men into "Latin lovers" with their recently opened store in London.