Messi now with option of paying fine over tax fraud prison sentence

Spain’s state prosecutor would accept substituting a fine of 255,000 euros ($285,116) for the 21-month prison sentence handed down by a Barcelona court to soccer player Lionel Messi for tax fraud.

Messi and his father Jorge were found guilty by a Catalan court last July on three counts of tax fraud between 2007 and 2009 to the tune of 4.1 million euros on image rights.

They were also fined 2 million euros.

Spain’s supreme Court rejected in May an appeal by the Barcelona football star and stood by a Catalan regional court’s 21-month prison sentence.