Amid the destruction of Hurricane Milton, the public became captivated with the survival story of Florida's "Lieutenant Dan." Real name Joseph Malinowski, Lieutenant Dan survived the hurricane after refusing to evacuate his boat.
Videos by Wide Open Country
However, it turns out the one-legged sailor has a rough few edges. It turns out Lieutenant Dan has a rap sheet a mile long. It makes the whole story a little less adorable than it initially appeared. For one, he allegedly tried to set a woman on fire. He allegedly doused her with gas.
Malinowski earned his nickname from Forest Gump. He's been in trouble with the law since 2006 with dozens of arrest. All of that put a sour name for many who donated to his GoFundMe. Dan has raised over $40,000. Likewise, a popular streamer offered him $100,000 for a new boat and a job contract. He rescinded the offer after learning of Lieutenant Dan's criminal history.
Lieutenant Dan History Of Crime
The sailor appeared in court (or didn't appear in court) dozens of times. Authorities charged him with aggravated battery, attempted breaking an entry, and also assaulting a deputy. It turns out his sailboat may not even belong to him. There's a current open criminal case about the boat.
However, the most disturbing crime may be when Lieutenant Dan tried to allegedly set a woman on fire. The two got in an argument, which ended with him pouring gasoline near the bench and lit it on fire. He then splashed her with fire in an attempt to light her on fire as well.
As far as his survival, Malinowski said he wasn't bothered by the storm.
"I wasn't going anywhere," he told Fox News. "I never planned on leaving. The storm didn't scare me because I didn't see it. I didn't write it. I didn't make it happen."
"Did the wind come through heavy? Yeah. Was it crazy for a little while? Yes, it was. Did it bother me? No, 'cause I knew what I was doing," Malinowski said. "I know I'd be fine. God had his finger on me."
Lieutenant Dan also isn't bothered by the loss of $100,000.
"He offered it to me. I never asked for it," he said. "If you're worried about your image and who you have working for you, you should have done your due diligence and looked me up before you made me an offer of $100,000 sign-on bonus, $50,000 a month with a $100,000 boat
