Court Dockets Gone Wild
If there’s a Girls Gone Wild 2008 Spring Break Edition, Joe Francis won’t be closely involved. The mega-rich, mega-troubled founder of the Girls Gone Wild empire will likely remain in jail until April 29, since his trial for tax evasion charges has been postponed. The trial was original scheduled to begin today.
He has not been allowed bail in Nevada because he still faces six felony counts including prostitution, conspiracy and using minors in a sexual performance in 2003. And as if things couldn’t get worse for the millionaire who apparently feels a wee bit inconvenienced by the law, he is facing two charges of transporting contraband into a jail cell while he was locked up for 35 days in April on contempt charges.
The postponement in Francis’ trial was the result of a request by the “entrepreneur” to allow his accountants more time to sort out the mess that is his empire. Francis has been charged with a laundry list of charges including improperly deducting more than $20 million expenses from his 2002 and 2003 corporate tax returns and hiding millions more in revenue in offshore accounts (sometimes in the names of other people). It is not illegal to have offshore accounts but the revenue must be reported, which the feds allege Francis went to great lengths to avoid. If convicted, Francis faces up to ten years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Francis’ attorney, David Houston, said that Francis’ indictment on tax evasion charges is a result of a complaint mounted by a disgruntled employee. I’m sure that he has excuses for the drugs and other felony charges, too. More angry ex-employees?
Tags: Girls-Gone-Wild, Joe-Francis, offshore, tax evasionRelated Stories
POSTED IN: pop culture, prosecutions, felonies and misdemeanors, taxes of the rich and (in)famous
5 opinions for Court Dockets Gone Wild
Jail is sooooo inconvient.
Oct 2, 2007 at 9:36 pm
[…] Joe Francis isn’t the only celebrity who is figuring out that the consequences of breaking the law aren’t nearly as cool as it looks on TV. It’s not just a cute mug shot and a spot on Larry King. Jail sucks and courts aren’t nearly as amenable to working around your schedule as you’d think. Just ask Wesley Snipes. […]
Jail is sooooo inconvenient.
Oct 2, 2007 at 9:38 pm
[…] Joe Francis isn’t the only celebrity who is figuring out that the consequences of breaking the law aren’t nearly as cool as it looks on TV. It’s not just a cute mug shot and a spot on Larry King. Jail sucks and courts aren’t nearly as amenable to working around your schedule as you’d think. Just ask Wesley Snipes. […]
“Girls Gone Wild” Founder Claims Ignorance - Mmm, Yeah?
Jul 25, 2008 at 10:08 am
[…] Francis, the rich and troubled founder of Girls Gone Wild, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of federal tax evasion. He claims that he was the victim of a scheme by his accountant to profit from the IRS […]
British Qualifications2 » Blog Archive » “Girls Gone Wild” Founder Claims Ignorance - Mmm, Yeah?
Jul 25, 2008 at 10:48 am
[…] Francis, the rich and troubled founder of Girls Gone Wild, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of federal tax evasion. He claims that he was the victim of a scheme by his accountant to profit from the IRS […]
Girls Gone Wild Founder Files Civil Suit
Aug 22, 2008 at 8:13 am
[…] previously reported, Francis is facing a trial in September on federal charges, including tax evasion. The fed allege that Francis claimed over $20 million in phony business expenses on his corporate […]
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