Arrest Warrant Issued for ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Founder Over Gambling Debts
Joe Francis, founder of the notorious “Girls Gone Wild” video franchise, has failed to turn over two cars in a bankruptcy case and now there is a warrant out for his arrest.
Francis was ordered to give a Cadillac Escalade and a Bentley Flying Spur to lawyers who helped sell his brand to settle gambling debts he owes to casino billionaire Steve Wynn.
The two men have been embroiled in an ugly legal mess over the past several years.
Francis is claiming he gave the automobiles to a Mexican strip club owner who threatened to kill him.
On Tuesday, Judge Fernando M. Olguin of the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles issued an arrest warrant for Francis.
Mr. Francis is said to be living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with his girlfriend, Abbey Wilson, who gave birth to the couple's twins while residing there. Mexico does have an extradition treaty with the U.S.
Judge Olguin is the second federal judge to determine that Mr. Francis should be arrested. In August, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Sandra Klein recommended jail time for Mr. Francis.
The “Girls Gone Wild” brand, which featured mostly college aged half naked women behaving badly during spring break, was sold to another company last year following a chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
