‘Lieutenant Dan’s Criminal Past Revealed – As the Student Behind His Hurricane Milton GoFundMe Says ‘His Past Doesn’t Define Him’
“Lieutenant Dan’s” dark past comes to light as thousands donate to the Hurricane Milton GoFundMe page set up for him by a kind-hearted student at the University of Tampa.
The one-legged sailor who refused to leave his boat won hearts after 23-year-old student Terrence Concannon shared TikTok videos of his survival from Hurricane Helene.
Thousands have donated to Concannon’s online fundraising campaign, which now totals more than $40,000. Streamer Adin Ross agreed to buy ‘Dan’ – whose real name is Joseph Malinowski – a new boat, offering a potentially lucrative opportunity to livestream his daily life on a platform called Live Kick.
As his internet fame soared, Malinowski’s convictions for assault and petty crime surfaced, along with his multiple mugshots over the years.
Concannon tells DailyMail.com he was unaware of Malinowski’s past when he offered to help. He doesn’t regret it either, despite what the internet says.
‘Lieutenant Dan’ has had more than 70 contacts with police in Florida and North Carolina since 2012, according to public records from DailyMail.com
‘He never said anything about it. I had no idea [the past] and I’m not one to judge. All I saw was a man who needed help and I was willing to give it.”
Concannon first met Malowski four weeks ago while walking home from campus.
‘I used to walk past him and one day his boat’s engine died and he got sucked under a bridge, so he cried out.
“He threw the rope to me and I pulled him in.”
Concannon began to worry about him as Hurricane Helene was brewing off the Gulf Coast in September.
“He said, ‘No, I’m going to stick this one out.'”
It only felt natural to return to check on him afterward.
As Milton gained steam, he became even more concerned about Malowski’s well-being.
Thousands have donated to student Terrence Concannon’s online fundraiser, which now stands at $40,000
The sailor is seen on Thursday after surviving the storm on his boat
“Then I started filming more and that’s when it blew up.”
As Malowski’s story went viral as the storm approached, social media users began pointing out that the sailor has a criminal record that spans a decade.
Malowski has had more than 70 contacts with law enforcement in Florida and North Carolina since 2012, according to public records from DailyMail.com.
He has also been involved in several lawsuits in New Jersey.
When Malowski’s story went viral as the storm approached, social media users began pointing out that the sailor has a 10-year criminal record.
Malowski is due to appear in criminal court later this year over a dispute over the ownership of his boat
Malowski’s criminal record includes charges of drug possession, assault, resisting police, burglary and battery.
Adin Ross apparently decided to withdraw his offer of a new boat for Malowski after discovering his history.
“He came to me, I never asked for it,” Malowski said on a television channel on Thursday TikTok after the withdrawn offer.
‘Then he starts singing about my history. He should have done his due diligence.
‘I didn’t ask you for it, you offered it, I agreed. He asked me to spend 100 hours a month on Kick, I said: no problem, I’m looking forward to that.
Now he discusses my history and the deal is done.’
Recently, the sailor spent six months in jail for punching a police officer in the nose. He was released in 2022.
Less than a year after his release, Malowski was accused of setting a park bench on fire and throwing gasoline on a woman who claimed she feared for her life.
Malinowski had lost a leg in a car accident at the age of 16
However, the case was dropped for unknown reasons.
Last year, Malowski also ran afoul of law enforcement for sinking another sailboat off Florida’s east coast, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.
Malowski is due to appear in criminal court later this year over a dispute over the ownership of his boat.
“I went to jail, I served jail time, but I can tell you, I’m innocent of all charges!” The sailor talked about his criminal past.
‘I have been reported, I have not even seen the officer. I spent a year in prison. But karma and god are real.
