Francis makes plea deal in tax case

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Girls Gone Wild Chief Executive Officer Joe Francis says he has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanors and pay back U.S. taxes of $249,705.

Francis said the plea deal will end his long-running criminal tax case with the U.S. government.

He said he made the agreement Wednesday before the Honorable S. James Otero in Los Angeles.

"I am grateful that Judge Otero accepted my plea today," Francis said in a statement. "I'm very pleased, if the judge accepts our agreement with the government, all felony tax charges will be dismissed and I will not spend any more time in jail. I look forward to the complete resolution of this matter on Nov. 6. Demand for the Girls Gone Wild brand has grown tremendously in the past 12 years and we have a lot of work to do to accommodate that demand. I'm happy to finally be able to redirect my attention to the business at hand, which is to provide quality entertainment for our millions of fans around the world."