Richard Hatch reports to authorities

Richard Hatch has surrendered to authorities to begin a jail sentence relating to tax evasion charges, according to reports.

The original Survivor winner was ordered last week to spend a further nine months in prison in relation to tax issues stemming from his $1 million prize on the CBS competition.

The AP reports that Hatch asked that his surrender deadline be delayed, claiming among other things that he needed more time to tie up loose ends with his various business projects, however the judge denied the request this morning.

The news agency says that Hatch - who has maintained his innocence in the case - turned himself over to authorities at the US District Court in Providence, Rhode Island, this afternoon.

Hatch, who is currently competing on the new season of Celebrity Apprentice, has reportedly asked for an appeal court to hear his claim.

The reality star previously served time in jail back in 2006 for not paying taxes on his prize money. He was allowed to leave on supervised release in 2009 but prosecutors claimed that he had not fulfilled the release requirement of refiling his tax forms for 2000 and 2001. His attorney argued that Hatch was innocent and had been complying with the system and working with an accountant to determine how much he owed.

The Celebrity Apprentice currently airs Sunday nights on NBC, with the live finale scheduled for broadcast in May.