'Survivor' Hatch Guilty Of Tax Evasion

Reality Show Nudist Who Won $1M Faces Up To 13 Years In Prison

(CBS/AP)  "I don't know if (viewers) care if they have the integrity that you would expect on a journalistic documentary," Thompson said.

But he made the biggest impression — and won the show — by scheming his way to the top.

He reveled as squabbles among his fellow contestants thinned their ranks, connived with teammates to stick together then pitted his allies against each other.

Early on, he used his success on the show to get more work, including a "Got Milk?" ad and an appearance on "Survivor All-Stars" — where he was voted off by fellow contestants.

He also appeared on TV game shows, including "The Weakest Link." That appearance, made on behalf of Horizon Bound, netted a $10,000 donation to his charity camp — money prosecutors said was among the funds misused.

But Hatch's shrewdness did not serve him well in the legal world. A year ago, prosecutors offered him a deal: plead guilty to two counts of tax evasion and they would recommend less than the maximum 10-year sentence.

After initially agreeing, Hatch walked away, retaining Minns as his new lawyer and appearing on NBC's "Today" show to claim that CBS was supposed to pay the taxes.

Prosecutors responded with a grand jury, which indicted Hatch on 10 counts carrying a maximum of 73 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines.

During the trial, prosecutors called witnesses, including Mark Burnett, executive producer of "Survivor."

Burnett testified that Hatch's "Survivor" contract stated he would have to pay taxes on his prize. Minns never asked him about the cheating allegation, and Burnett and CBS declined to comment about it.

"Survivor" had one brush with security in 2003. An offshore bookie suspended betting that year on who the "Survivor" winner would be when he noticed a large number of people betting on contestant Sandra Diaz-Twine, the eventual winner.

The most recent "Survivor" edition, based in Guatemala, averaged 18.3 million viewers, placing it among Nielsen Media Research's 10 most popular shows of the year. The show leads off CBS' Thursday schedule, the most lucrative night of the week for advertising revenue.