Joe Francis Now Faces Possibility of Incarceration

LOS ANGELES — To date, former Girls Gone Wild mogul Joe Francis must pay $50,000 in sanctions — incurring $5,000-a-day fines over the past 10 days — for not handing over a 2012 Bentley Flying Spur and a 2007 Cadillac Escalade.

Both vehicles, previously Girls Gone Wild company cars, were reported by Francis to have been seized by a Mexican strip club operator after the company defaulted on a deal. As a result, Francis said he can't produce the cars allegedly taken in Guadalajara, Mexico.

But on Friday U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sandra Klein could do more than just collect the daily sanctions and a bankruptcy trustee's attorneys fees from Francis in her July 17 civil contempt order.

Klein could incarcerate Francis if he doesn't hand over the $200,000 Bentley and aging Cadillac.

If the two cars haven't been returned by Friday, "the court will consider what additional sanctions, if any, including issuance of arrest warrants for Francis…might be appropriate,” according to Judge Klein’s 31-page order filed at U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles.

Klein, in the order, said that Francis' story about the cars is "difficult to believe and sufficient to demonstrate impossibility."

Earlier this month, Klein also said that Francis had violated a consent order and preliminary injunction that barred him from communicating with or harassing Girls Gone Wild employees, coming within 100 feet of its offices and interfering with the trustee's control of assets.

Due to the violation, Klein imposed $40,000 in attorneys fees to a trustee and likely will grant another $20,000 on Friday.

Today, Francis' attorney, Michael Kolodzi, filed an opposition to Klein's civil contempt sanctions that could include incarceration.

In a brief, Kolodzi told the court, citing a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case, that the judge has no authority for criminal contempt powers because of the inability of bankruptcy courts to offer the required due process procedural protections, including a jury.

The brief also noted that Francis' girlfriend, as principal of Perfect Science Labs, a company controlled by Francis, also faces incarceration.

GGW Acquisition bought Girls Gone Wild assets for $1.825 million at bankruptcy auction. The company's assets went up for sale after Francis-operated companies filed Chapter 11 in a reported pre-emptive move to stave off Las Vegas entertainment mogul Steve Wynn and his companies from taking assets as repayment for more than $30 million in gambling debts.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kalani Luana Stars in Latest From Hookup Hotshot

Kalani Luana stars with Nade Nasty in the latest release from Hookup Hotshot (HUHS).

Lilyadick Makes Her TransAngels Debut

Canadian star Lilyadick has made her debut for TransAngels alongside Parker Savage in the video game-themed scene “Playing With The NPC Babe.”

Kazumi Stars in Latest From Tushy

Kazumi stars with Milan Ponjevic, Jax Slayher and Dan Damage in a new airtight scene from Vixen Media Group (VMG) studio imprint Tushy.

Kiiroo, Pineapple Support Launch 'Empower Hour' Series on FeelHubX YouTube Channel

Kiiroo and Pineapple Support have teamed up to launch the “Empower Hour” series on the FeelHubX YouTube channel.

Cherry Kiss Toplines Pat Myne's 'Anal Fetish Babes'

Cherry Kiss headlines director Pat Myne’s “Anal Fetish Babes,” from Evil Angel.

Kansas Law Firm Deploys Religion, Bunk Science While Recruiting Plaintiffs Under AV Law

Kansas-based personal injury law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley is promoting debunked scientific theories and leveraging religious affiliation against the industry while it seeks potential plaintiffs for lawsuits against adult companies under the state’s age verification law.

UK Tech Secretary Lists Age Verification Among OSA Priorities

Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on Wednesday made public a draft version of his priorities for implementing the Online Safety Act (OSA), including age verification.

Nicole Aria Stars in Latest From Jules Jordan

Nicole Aria stars with John Strong and Zac Wild in the latest release from Jules Jordan.

Ellie Nova Is Hustler's 'Cover Honey' for December

Ellie Nova is the Cover Honey for the December issue of Hustler Magazine, appearing in a 14-page centerfold spread shot by ThisYearsModel.com.

Show More