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3rd Bass Rapper Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

Peter "Prime Minister Pete Nice" Nash accused of not paying New York state taxes in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

A former member of the '90s hip hop trio 3rd Base pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal tax fraud in an Albany County Courtroom Tuesday (July 1).

Peter Nash, who rapped under the name Prime Minister Pete Nice, failed to pay state taxes in 2009, 2010 and 2011, according to the Albany County District Attorney's Office. Nash must now pay $13,101 in back taxes, penalties and fees in addition to serving three years probation. He will be sentenced Aug. 26.

Nash and 3rd Base are best known for their gold-selling single "Pop Goes the Weasel," which was released in 1991 and topped the Billboard Rap charts. From 1989 to 1991, the group dropped three albums, the first and last of which went gold. The group performed at Woodstock in 1999 and reunited last year for a tour commemorating the 25-year anniversary of their debut, The Cactus Album.  

The Brooklyn native has long since retired from music and opened a baseball memorabilia store in Cooperstown, N.Y. He is also a published author and baseball historian who previously attempted to secure property for an official gravesite of Negro League players.

In April of this year, Nash was ordered to pay $261,000 in legal fees to an auction house accusing him of using fake memorabilia as collateral for a $1 million loan.

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(Photo: Courtesy of Albany County District Attorney's Office)

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