LOS ANGELES — Girls Gone Wild chief Joe Francis was arrested yesterday after surrendering to police and charged with multiple misdemeanors stemming from an alleged altercation with three girls after a party last January.
According to reports, the incident in question started when Francis grabbed one of the girls by the arm and brought her to his limo after meeting outside of the Supper Club in Hollywood.
The other two girls followed into the limo, believing they were being taken to their car, but instead were allegedly taken to Francis’ home.
Once in the car, Francis’ bodyguard and driver Vagram Gegdzhyan, allegedly produced a sheriff’s badge and refused to let the girls go free.
At Francis’ home, a fight broke out between Francis and two of the girls after he tried to grab one away. During the altercation Francis allegedly grabbed one of the women by the throat and hair and slammed her head into the tile floor four times.
After being escorted out of the house, the women entered a taxi where they called the LAPD to report the incident and met them near their parked car.
Francis faces three counts of false imprisonment, one count of dissuading a witness from reporting a crime and one count of assault causing great bodily injury.
Gegdzhyan faces additional criminal counts of impersonating a public officer with intimidation and one count of fraudulently using a badge.
If convicted, Francis could get up to five years in county jail and/or $13,000 in fines. Gegdzhyan could be hit with six years in jail.
Francis was reportedly released on $50,000 bail.