Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Oklahoma Native and national phenomena Joseph Maldanado-Passage or “Joe Exotic” has filed a federal lawsuit seeking nearly $94 million in damages. He claims to be convicted on false and perjured testimony in a murder-for-hire-plot. Maldanado-Passage is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence.

In the suit, Maldonado-Passage claims he was singled out for prosecution because he “is an openly gay male with the largest collection of generic tigers and cross breeds,” According to an Associated Press report.

Joe Exotic has made his celebrity even bigger after the release of the Netflix documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.” Released on March 20, the seven-part series has been one of the most watched shows on Netlflix over the last two weeks.

Maldanado-Passage also found notoriety for his eclectic campaign for the governor of Oklahoma in 2018. He received 664 votes in the Oklahoma Libertarian Primary.