Girls Gone Wild Founder Joe Francis In Hot Water With IRS

LOS ANGELES -- As founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" franchise, Joe Francis has often been accused of duping women into doing things they wish they had not, especially baring their breasts in front of a video camera.

This time, it is Mr. Francis who says he was fooled -- not by a cameraman, but by his accountant.

The veracity of his claim is likely to be decided in September, when Mr. Francis will be tried in Los Angeles on federal charges that he deducted $20 million in fraudulent expenses on the corporate tax returns filed by his company, Mantra Films.

If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. Even if he is acquitted, the Internal Revenue Service could still seek back taxes, plus penalties and interest.

Read the full story here

Related:

::Ashley Dupre, Known As Kristen By Eliot Spitzer, Sues Girls Gone Wild
::Joe Francis Was In Jail -- and Claimed He Was Abused

Comments

[scooterliberal]

What gets me is that there is so much free porn in this world...if porn is what you want why would you spend a cent making this guy rich?

[SharonWantsToTalk]

Let me add "scum" to the list of things he has been described as. No sympathy for his plight here.

[Jason357]

What is it about this guy that everyone goes after? His accountant files an illegal return wile the guy is in jail and claims a bounty for it, and the IRS acts on that? that's nuts!!!

[nice2blucky]

I don't know enough details of this issue, however, this strangely seems like persecution.

I would likely dislike much of the world this guy inhabits -- except many of the girls. But I support his right to freely express himself and pursue happiness.

There is something very wrong with this story -- in its entirety -- and this guy isn't the only bad guy.

What's wrong here is that some of our honored institutions, as well as the IRS, seem up to no good.

Whatever he's done wrong, it seems amplified by our so-called justice system.

Before people let this issue go quietly, as if this guy is getting what he deserves, judgements should be cautioned by the greater implications, which appears to be an arbitrarily unjust system.

Also, not that this issue is relevant here, is that people should be deathly frightened by our growing and newly privatized prison system.

[JonG345]

Repeat after me

Obama:

Right about Iraq.

Right about Afghanistan.

Right for America.

[JaseAllen]

Huzzah!! With any luck the IRS will confiscate those God awful commercials that air during the weirdest times. I doubt many people watching "Will and Grace" really care about videos featuring chicks flashing their knockers.

[Donns]

Hey, lighten up everyone. This guy may be presidential material. He's off to the right start for life as a politician. He scams people, he demeans people, he cannot be taken seriously andhe is making lots of money without any apparant talent. What better training than this for being the next great decider?

[AryanMjolnir]

Add no respect for women to that.

[LeonBNJ]

I would like to see the IRS get back some of it's authority to go after a lot more rich persons and corporations who don't pay their fair share of taxes and illegally abuse otherwise legal deductions. This guy is getting the attention due to his GGW connections and perhaps pressure by those offened by his business.
Now if we could use the FCC to get his GGW ads off the air, including on cable/satallite only stations. To me they are far worse than 'nipplegate'.

[BeeTap22]

Is there anyway you all can bring civil charges against judges and policy and law makers for the horrible collateral damages caused by the insane drug war? This drug war and it draconian mindset must stop.
"Harm reduction" is a much better and saner approach to drug abuse in this nation. The money spent in one year (40 billion dollars!) could have gone towards the repair and updating of the New Orleans levee system, preventing the negligent Katrina disaster. This here is just one small example of how our law and policy makers abused our Constitution for the last several decades. Aside from the horrible damages done to our social and economic infrastructure, the credibility and trust in our judicial system and Gov't in general, is at a point where it may never be repaired.
I respectfully ask you to think about applying some of your resources to help end this abuse to the American people.

[walk0nwalls]

AS HE SHOULD BE, THOSE VIDEOS SUCK!

[NelsonC]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one with no sympathy for this guy.

He makes me appreciate what a class act Hugh Hefner is.

[BobABooey]

I am very surprised his supposed "endowment" hasn't fallen off yet due to over exposure to only God knows what.

Sociopathic dirtbag and ignorant women = GGW !

Enjoy the ride loser...

[pbrme]

I like good-looking ladies as much as the next guy, but if anyone isn't truly disgusted by this guy, please check out this article.

http://www.latimes.com/features/magazine/west/la-tm-gonewild32aug06,0,2664370.story

[gcallaghan]

He's in hot water? Golly. while he was jailed, surely he got his "brown eye" gang- poked by large inmates making a social statement about perverted, rich aging frat boys. If that hasn't healed yet, the hot water will hurt like a beeyatch.

[beanchihuahua]

Creepy guy deserves whatever he gets. And those girls should be SO proud of themselves for participat­ing..Espec­ially when their sons come of age and are watching them to "fill a need" and they see their mother on the screen flashing more than a smile..Classy.

[Dramaticlookcat]

Finally, something Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and Maoists can agree on -- we all hate Joe Francis!!!!