Joe Francis Sues Steve Wynn: Your Lies Almost Destroyed Me

Joe Francis just filed a lawsuit against Steve Wynn ... claiming the massive criminal case that nearly put him behind bars last year would never have happened if the casino mogul hadn't lied to the D.A.

TMZ broke the story ... Francis was accused of intentionally skipping out on a $2.5 million gambling debt at Wynn Casinos in 2010 -- but the charges were dropped in September due to lack of evidence.

The "Girls Gone Wild" honcho filed the lawsuit earlier today in L.A. Federal Court, claiming Wynn and his staff intentionally lied to Vegas officials in order to get the D.A. to press criminal charges against him.

According to Francis, the alleged lies destroyed his reputation, cost him an arm and a leg in legal fees, and nearly landed him in prison -- for nothing.

Now, Francis is out for payback -- demanding Wynn cough up an unspecified amount in damages ... but you can bet it's in the millions.