It’s been all over the Internet. The only problem is the stories are in Italian.

ROME — Legendary director/performer Rocco Siffredi has been caught up in a tax sting by the Italian financial police and is alleged to owe close to half a million dollars in back taxes.

News of Siffredi’s tax predicament broke today and has made the rounds of international news services. Siffredi is accused of concealing roughly $442,500 in income from the treasury by setting up fictitious companies in tax havens.

According to published reports, Siffredi was a resident of Chieti, Italy until 2005 before transferring his residence to Rome where he set up a company after which he relocated to Budapest, Hungary — his wife’s native country — last year.

That move is being contested by Italy’s financial police, who allege that the center of Siffredi’s economic activity is still in Italy based on his purchases of cars and expensive motorcycles.

According to Italian law, if the amount of Siffredi’s alleged undeclared income surpasses a certain threshold it would trigger a criminal investigation.

There are approximately 130 people caught up in this financial sting conducted by the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian financial police, of former residents of Chieti who relocated.

Attempts to reach Siffredi through his distributor Evil Angel were unsuccessful by post time.

Siffredi currently is shooting in the U.S. on a rare trip to the States.