Girls Gone Wild Founder in Federal Custody

Joe Francis, Girls Gone Wild founder has been arrested at the Panama City International Airport. Francis arrived in Panama City on his chartered jet at 7:30 a.m.(EST). He is in federal custody currently at the Panama City Jail.

Last week Francis refused to turn himself into federal marshals after he was charged with contempt.

Media outlets are reporting Francis was set to turn himself in between between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.(EST) at the federal courthouse. His plans were thrawted when airport security recognized and detained him. He was taken into police custody at 8:05 a.m.(EST)

U. S. District Judge Richard Smoak ordered the 34-year-old Richard Francis into custody after negotiations broke down with seven women who were minors when the Girls Gone Wild crew filmed them in Panama City

The contempt order was issued because the womens' lawyers claimed Francis threatened them during negotiations. Francis was supposed to turn himself in last Thursday but failed to do so.

In a statement to the Associated Press Francis said, "This judge has gone as far as to call me the devil and an evildoer. It is a case of a judge gone wild."

In December Francis plead guilty to charges of falling to check the ages of women at a 2003 filming. The video featured two 17-year olds topless. The court ordered community service, $1.6 million in fines and public acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

Francis is set to face additional felony charged in Pensacola for similar charges.

The DVD franchise is based on young women flashing their breasts to the camera for t-shirts or other trinket. Francis is one of the youngest self made millionaires in the country.

Sources

www.tmz.com,www.foxnews.com,www.wikipedia.com