Those of you who caught Lauryn Hill in London recently for her first UK performance in five years should count yourselves lucky: she may not be back for a while. On Friday, the singer pleaded guilty in court to failing to file income tax returns between 2005 and 2007, during which period she earned $1.8m. As a result, she could face a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $300,000 fine.

For her part, Hill claims she was “deferring” payments during a period of withdrawal from the public eye. In a statement, she avoided direct reference to the charges, instead lashing out at the commercialisation of the music industry and decrying the “media-protected military industrial complex”.

Hill is currently out on $150,000 bail, and will be sentenced on 27th November.