Former Hammer John Carew is facing up to the prospect of serving time in prison, according to a new report from The Sun.
The striker, who played for the Hammers in the 2011/12 season, is facing a prison sentence over alleged tax evasion over his £27 million fortune.
The 42-year-old is accused of avoiding paying a total of 5.4 million Krona, which translates to £500,000, between 2014 and 2019, while he is also accused of failing to declare earnings of £1m, while hiding a further £27m.
In the year of 2020, he is said to have claimed his income was £725,000, while he had £6.3m in savings and a tax liability of £210,000.
His lawyer insists that Carew did not understand tax law.
Were he to be found guilty, and sentenced to the maximum possible jail time, he would need to serve up to six years in prison, but it remains to be seen if that is the outcome.
Carew has been working in film and TV since retiring as a player.