'Tiger King Joe Exotic' back in Santa Rosa County Jail

Joseph Maldonado, better known as the "Joe Exotic" the "Tiger King," is currently being held in Santa County Rosa Jail.

Maldonado, 61, is a former Oklahoma zookeeper who rose to fame when his story was highlighted in the 2020 Netflix documentary "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness," and who was ultimately sentenced to 21 years in prison for crimes involving his animals and a murder-for-hire plot against his chief critic, Carole Baskin, a Tampa-area animal sanctuary operator.

While still serving his federal sentence, Maldonado launched a civil lawsuit against musician Vince Johnson and several businesses over alleged copyright infringement and breaches of confidentially agreements related to "musical compositions that contractually belong to Maldonado."

Maldanado was temporarily booked into Santa Rosa County Jail early Wednesday morning ahead of an upcoming civil hearing in the case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

Previously: "Joe Exotic," tiger keeper, gubernatorial hopeful, arrested in Gulf Breeze for murder-for-hire plot

The lawsuit claims in or around 2013, Maldonado and Johnson entered into a confidential agreement wherein Johnson and his band would manufacture music compilations and/or songs for Maldonado's personal use.

The songs included "I Saw a Tiger,” “Pretty Women Lover,” “Here Kitty Kitty” and others.

Following the popularity of the "Tiger King" documentary, Johnson was reportedly quoted in a Vanity Fair article "disclosing and divulging information subject to the Confidentiality Agreement and the Agreements concerning the transfer of music rights by fraudulently claiming entitlement and credit for 'I Saw a Tiger' and 'HereKitty Kitty,'" a complaint in the lawsuit claims.

"Johnson, by divulging and disclosing protected information including that Maldonado does not in whole or in part 'sing his own songs,' clearly violated the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement," the complaint continues. "Johnson also admitted that by disclosing his breach and improper secondary gain, he hoped the 'hit Netflix docuseries leads to a record deal.' Johnson's intent to monetarily capitalize on Maldonado's fame is blatantly clear as well."

Maldonado's complaint requested injunctive relief and statutory damages in excess of 75,000, but court records indicate that the parties have a settlement conference hearing scheduled for mid-April.

Separately, Maldonado has been fighting a conviction for the murder-for-hire attempts born from "a bitter feud with activist Carole Baskin over his treatment of animals at the zoo he operated in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. The pair’s colorful rivalry featured famously in Netflix’s 2020 documentary series, 'Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness,'" U.S Circuit Court of Appeals judges wrote in 2022 when resentencing Maldonado to 21 years in prison.

The first attempt involved a zoo employee who was paid $3,000 to travel to Florida to kill Baskin but didn't follow through, a judge wrote. The second attempt involved an undercover FBI agent who was offered $10,000 to murder Baskin.

Maldonado was originally arrested in the murder-for-hire plot in Gulf Breeze in 2018.

His trial judge imposed his first 22-year sentence on Jan. 22, 2020, after a jury convicted him at a 2019 trial. Months later, he became famous after Netflix released "Tiger King." Millions watched while in pandemic lockdowns at home, making it a breakout hit.

Oklahoman reporter Nolan Clay contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Joe Exotic of Tiger King Netflix documentary fame in Milton jail