Girls Gone Wild tycoon charged with tax evasion

Joe Francis, the 34-year-old multimillionaire founder of the Girls Gone Wild video empire, has been charged with tax evasion. He's already being held without bail on contempt of court charges for allegedly shouting obscenities and threatening seven women during civil suit settlement negotiations.

He's charged with deducting over $20 million in bogus business expenses, including $3.78 million to build a house in Punta Mita, Mexico. He's also accused of using an offshore bank to conceal income.

His attorney, Jan L. Handzlik, said the indictment was unwarranted.

"The government has chosen to make a criminal case out of what we believe to be, at most, a civil tax dispute," Handzlik said. "We are also disappointed about the timing of these charges in light of Joe's difficulties in Florida. This is turning into a litigation dog pile."

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Update:

Mark says:

The "Girls Gone Wild" guy has now been caught with drugs in his cell. Also trying to bribe a guard with a $100 bill. And the president of the company that produces his DVD's has been charged with smuggling the pills and cash to him in jail.

It just keeps getting better!

Previously on Boing Boing:
• LAT's damning profile of Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis
• Girls Gone Wild guilty in federal sex exploitation case
• Girls Gone Wild creator grilled on police record in court
Girls Gone Wild robbery: dastardly dildo dude Darnell guilty