This is a big letdown for the prosecutors, who were originally seeking much, much more. When they learned that a key witness against Francis had lied to them, they rushed to negotiate. It didn't help that they got the news the night before the trial was to start (back in September).

Francis was accused of claiming $20 million in fraudulent tax deductions several years ago. He admitted that he skipped $500,000 in interest income from his 2003 tax return and gave items worth more than $5,000 to two Nevada jail workers, according to the Associated Press. Adult Video News (NSFW) explains that this was a bribe for more food. The plea agreement was announced on September 23, 2009 and settled on Friday.

After the settlement was announced, a statement from Francis said (NSFW), "I am grateful that Judge Otero accepted my plea today," he said. "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 November 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." Of course, he thanked his attorney -- the porn equivalent of thanking one's agent at the Oscar Awards and conceded, "I can be a difficult client."

This is just the latest in a long run with the legal system. Francis, whose work typically includes amateur performers flashing for the camera, girls kissing and other lighthearted fare, has been accused of everything from violating federal record keeping requirements to misdemeanor sexual battery to criminal contempt. The most widely known is that the women he videos were taped without consent. The results have varied: some dropped, some ending in guilty pleas and some civil cases settled. A few are pending still, including the one in which he challenges the settlement in a Florida civil case that wound up putting him in jail.

At the beginning of the year, Francis tried to engage the federal government in a different manner. He and Hustler top dog Larry Flynt sent a letter to Congress asking for federal bailout money. The porn industry's recession precedes the credit crisis by several years and is likely to continue long after the unemployment rate comes down and consumer spending goes up. The government, like consumers, isn't interested in spending money on porn.