Francis Sharrak, 44, of Farmington Hills, MI wasn't about to let jail stop his from getting that paper. While sitting in a Wayne County jail cell for 18 months prior to sentencing, Sharrak still managed to run his multi-million dollar porn website and strip club. Sharrak was held in a solo cell until his April 2012 sentencing for tax evasion, and the computer he used to manage his endeavors was given to him when he elected to represent himself in court.
Transcripts of Sharrak's phone calls show him bragging about being the first person at the jail to be granted computer access, and authorities seem to agree that he shouldn't have been given the privilege. "In retrospect, we know that he should not have had it," said Wayne County Undersheriff Daniel Pfannes.
Sharrack used the computer to discuss financial and management decisions for the strip clubs he worked with, and allegedly called a 14-year-old girl to discuss drugs and sexual experiences. No illegal activity was found on the computer, or on the recorded phone calls.
Sharrak was reportedly able to obtain the computer with the help of an employee who claimed that a court order allowed him access to one. As you probably guessed, that court order was bullshit. Sharrak earned nearly $4 million from his websites and strip club consulting, which included Show Girls and Spanky's Club in Ohio from 1997 to 2001.
Sharrak didn't pay taxes from 2003 to 2005, and reportedly made $1.4 million during this period. He was sentenced to 72 months in jail, which he will serve at a federal facility in West Virginia, followed by three years of supervision. He'll also have to pay the IRS $4.2 million.
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[via The Huffington Post]
