10 Movie Villains Who Deserved MUCH WORSE
6. Frank Abagnale Jr. - Catch Me If You Can
Some villains never get caught and go completely unpunished, while others face a certain amount of punishment that is far too lenient for the crime. Then there are even those who get caught and, rather than receiving no punishment, are actively rewarded for their wrong-doings.
Leonardo DiCaprio's Frank Abagnale Jr. fits the bill of the latter.
After being chased literally around the world by Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) in Catch Me If You Can, wanted for effectively stealing millions of dollars from the government, Frank was ultimately stopped. Once caught in France, he was extradited to the US and sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, after Carl went to him for advice and he proved useful on a case, Frank was allowed to serve the rest of his sentence working for the FBI. Not a bad upgrade from maximum security.
By the end of the story, not only does Frank not end up in jail, and not only does Hanratty let him leave again, but he ultimately winds up with a job because of how good he was at breaking the law. He became one of the world's leading experts on bank frauds and forgery rather than serving in prison as he should have.