JOE FRANCIS - FRANCIS AVOIDS PRISON TIME IN TAX EVASION CHARGES

FRANCIS AVOIDS PRISON TIME IN TAX EVASION CHARGES

Adult filmmaker JOE FRANCIS has escaped a prison sentence in his tax evasion trial after striking a plea deal with Los Angeles prosecutors.
The embattled Girls Gone Wild creator was arrested in 2007 and charged with two counts of filing fraudulent tax returns, amounting to $20 million (£14 million).
He faced up to 10 years behind bars if he was convicted.
But Francis will no longer take the stand as planned next month (Oct09) after reaching an agreement with the authorities, which will keep him out of prison.
As part of the deal, Francis will plead guilty to the charges, pay a $250,000 (£166,670) fine and receive credit for the 301 days in jail he has already served.
The news will come as a relief to Francis, who is also embroiled in a lawsuit against three former employees he claims tried to embezzle cash from him.
He is also under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for an altercation with Brody Jenner's girlfriend, Jayde Nicole, outside a nightclub last month (Aug09).