Three brothers – Leland, Rhondo and Joseph Robinson Jr. – pleaded guilty today to tax evasion in federal court in Newark, New Jersey.

 

The trio, whose family started Sugar Hill Records in the 1970s, admitted that they did not file returns from 2005-08 that would have declared royalties from their owning of Sugar Hill Music. They would have paid $1.28 million in taxes, and now owe interest and penalties.

 

Rhondo (41), Leland (46) and Joseph Jr. (50) face a year in prison on each count. “Joseph Robinson Jr. is making every effort to comply with his past and present tax obligations and hopes the judge will consider his efforts at sentencing,” said his attorney Henry Klingeman. “They’ve been concentrating on protecting their current musical legacy instead of fulfilling their tax obligations.”

 

The brothers have been involved in the label’s music publishing and received payments as copyright administrators.