PANAMA CITY, Fla., April 24 (UPI) -- "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis has been ordered to spend 35 days in jail for violating a federal order to surrender to authorities in Florida.
The 34-year-old California entrepreneur, who wept in court, also was fined $5,000 Monday by U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak, the Panama City (Fla.) News Herald reported. Francis was given credit for 13 days he'd already served.
Francis admitted he willfully violated Smoak's order to give himself up to authorities April 5. He was arrested at the Panama City airport five days later.
Francis' attorney, Jan Handzlik of Los Angeles, was rebuffed by the judge when asking that the jail term be limited to 30 days. Handzlik said the additional five days could cost Francis another year in prison should he be convicted on a tax fraud charge he's facing in Nevada.
Florida prosecutors also want Francis held on charges he used under-age girls in his business, as well as charges that he possessed controlled substances while in the jail and bribed a correctional officer, the newspaper said.
