Joe Exotic files $94 million lawsuit over his prosecution

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A former Oklahoma zookeeper sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot has filed a federal lawsuit seeking nearly $94 million in damages.

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as “Joe Exotic,” filed the lawsuit March 17 in federal court in Oklahoma City. Among the defendants are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted him.

Maldonado-Passage claims he was convicted based on false and perjured testimony. The blonde mullet-wearing zookeeper is prominently featured in the recently released Netflix documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.”