"Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis in Jan. 12. (Ethan Miller/Getty)
Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis was convicted Monday of false imprisonment and assault of three women, and he faces up to five years in prison. Francis, 40, allegedly grabbed one of the women and took her to his limo, and her friends followed, believing that Francis would give them a ride. While in the car, Francis’s driver and bodyguard produced sheriff’s badges and would not let the women leave. The women were then taken to Francis’s home, where he allegedly got in an altercation with one woman who tried to break away, allegedly grabbing her by the throat and hitting her head against the floor four times. The women said he then allowed them to leave but allegedly threatened them if they called the police. He will be sentenced on May 8.
