Dolce and Gabbana convicted of tax evasion

A Milan court has convicted fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana of tax evasion.

The pair were found guilty Wednesday of failing to declare1 billion ($1.37 billion Cdn) in income to authorities. The court sentenced them both to one year and eight months in jail.

Prosecutors argued that the pair had evaded taxes on income of 416 million each and 200 million through a Luxembourg-based company. The statute of limitations ran out on a charge of misrepresenting income.

The designers have denied the charges.

Two years ago, a judge threw out a tax evasion and fraud case against the pair, whose label Dolce&Gabbana is a Milan fashion mainstay. Italy's high court later ruled the designers could be prosecuted for tax evasion, though not for fraud.