Latest news with #animaltrafficking
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Latest ‘Tiger King' twist finds ‘Doc' Antle sentenced to 1 year in prison for animal traffickin
Animal stories Endangered lifeFacebookTweetLink Follow 'Tiger King' star Bhagavan 'Doc' Antle was sentenced on Tuesday to one year and a day in federal prison and fined $55,000 for trafficking in exotic animals and money laundering after pleading guilty in November 2023. Antle's fate was resolved in a federal courtroom in Charleston, South Carolina, five years after the true crime documentary 'Tiger King' captivated a country shut down by COVID-19. Three others who pleaded guilty in his investigation received either probation or a four-month prison sentence. Antle's sentence is the final true-life chapter of the Tiger King saga. The Netflix series debuted in March 2020 near the peak of COVID-19 restrictions. The show centered on dealers and conservationists of big cats, focusing on disputes between Joe Exotic, a collector and private zookeeper from Oklahoma, and Carole Baskin, who runs Big Cat Rescue in Florida. Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is serving a 21-year federal prison sentence for trying to hire two different men to kill Baskin. Antle, who owns a private zoo called Myrtle Beach Safari, appeared in the first season of the documentary and was the star of the third season. Antle's zoo was known for charging hundreds or thousands of dollars to let people pet and hold baby animals like lions, tigers and monkeys that were so young they were still being bottle-fed. Customers could have photos or videos made. Antle would sometimes ride into tours on an elephant. Myrtle Beach Safari remains open by reservation only, according to its website. Antle had remained out on bail since his arrest in June 2022. Antle's federal charges were brought after the 'Tiger King' series. Prosecutors said he sold or bought cheetahs, lions, tigers and a chimpanzee without the proper paperwork. And they said in a separate scheme, Antle laundered more than $500,000 that an informant told him was being used to get people into the U.S. illegally to work. Antle was used to having large amounts of money he could move around quickly, investigators said. The FBI was listening to Antle's phone calls with the informant as he explained a baby chimpanzee could easily cost $200,000. Private zookeepers can charge hundreds of dollars for photos with docile young primates or other animals, but the profit window is only open for a few years before the growing animals can no longer be safely handled. 'I had to get a monkey, but the people won't take a check. They only take cash. So what do you do?' Antle said according to a transcript of the phone call in court papers. Two of Antle's employees have already been sentenced for their roles in his schemes. Meredith Bybee was given a year of probation for selling a chimpanzee while Andrew 'Omar' Sawyer, who prosecutors said helped Antle launder money, was given two years of probation. Jason Clay, a Texas private zoo owner, pleaded guilty to illegally selling a primate and was sentenced to four months in prison, while charges were dropped against California ranch owner Charles Sammut. Antle was also convicted in 2023 in a Virginia court of four counts of wildlife trafficking over sales of lions and was sentenced to two years of prison suspended 'upon five years of good behavior.' An appeals court overturned two of the convictions, ruling that Virginia law bans the sale of endangered species but not their purchase. Antle was found not guilty of five counts of animal cruelty at that same Virginia trial.
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Tiger King star jailed for trafficking and laundering after buying chimpanzees, lions, tigers, cheetahs on black market
TIGER King star Bhagavan "Doc" Antle has been jailed for trafficking exotic animals and money laundering. Antle, 65, was sentenced to one year and one day behind bars and fined $55,000 on Tuesday - two years after he pleaded guilty to the charges. 4 4 Prosecutors said Antle sold or bought cheetahs, lions, tigers and a chimpanzee without the proper paperwork for a decade. They said he also laundered more than $500,000 so he could quickly get cash to buy more animals. Antle's sentencing was heard in a federal courtroom in Charleston, South Carolina - five years after the true crime documentary Tiger King captivated a country shut down by COVID-19. The show centred on dealers and conservationists of big cats, focusing on disputes between Joe Exotic, a collector and private zookeeper from Oklahoma, and Carole Baskin, who runs Big Cat Rescue in Florida. Exotic is serving a 21-year federal prison sentence for trying to hire two different men to kill Baskin. Antle appeared in the first season with Exotic and Baskin and was the star of the show's third season. Authorities said he laundered money used in a human smuggling scheme because he needed large amounts of cash quickly to buy animals, including chimpanzees, lions, tigers, cheetahs, and other creatures. Prosecutor Patrick Duggan said: "These animals are illegal to sell because they are endangered, and their high prices could encourage poachers to steal them from the wild. "He was knowingly and illegally trading them as part of a black market that drives another black market of poaching and smuggling." Customers would pay $200 for five minutes and photos with a baby chimp or $7,000 for a sleepover. Antle would sometimes ride into tours on an elephant. 4 Antle's lawyers requested a sentence of just probation or home confinement, saying their client needed to care for the 150 exotic animals that consume 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) of meat a day at his Myrtle Beach Safari. They said many of the animals only respond to Antle. About 25 friends and family packed a federal courtroom in Charleston. Several told Judge Joseph Dawson III that Antle was generous and caring. They said he raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight poaching and preserve wild habitats for tigers, lions and chimpanzees. Federal guidelines called for about two years in prison, to which prosecutors agreed. But Dawson said, although Antle broke federal law, all the evidence pointed to him caring for animals. Antle apologized at the end of his sentencing hearing for causing problems for his life's work. "I made a mistake, I did stupid things," Antle said, adding, "I hope I'll be able to pull it back together for everybody." Antles Myrtle Beach Safari was known for charging hundreds or thousands of dollars to let people pet and hold baby animals like lions, tigers and monkeys that were so young they were still being bottle-fed. The zoo remains open by reservation only.
CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Latest ‘Tiger King' twist finds ‘Doc' Antle sentenced to 1 year in prison for animal traffickin
Animal stories Endangered lifeFacebookTweetLink Follow 'Tiger King' star Bhagavan 'Doc' Antle was sentenced on Tuesday to one year and a day in federal prison and fined $55,000 for trafficking in exotic animals and money laundering after pleading guilty in November 2023. Antle's fate was resolved in a federal courtroom in Charleston, South Carolina, five years after the true crime documentary 'Tiger King' captivated a country shut down by COVID-19. Three others who pleaded guilty in his investigation received either probation or a four-month prison sentence. Antle's sentence is the final true-life chapter of the Tiger King saga. The Netflix series debuted in March 2020 near the peak of COVID-19 restrictions. The show centered on dealers and conservationists of big cats, focusing on disputes between Joe Exotic, a collector and private zookeeper from Oklahoma, and Carole Baskin, who runs Big Cat Rescue in Florida. Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is serving a 21-year federal prison sentence for trying to hire two different men to kill Baskin. Antle, who owns a private zoo called Myrtle Beach Safari, appeared in the first season of the documentary and was the star of the third season. Antle's zoo was known for charging hundreds or thousands of dollars to let people pet and hold baby animals like lions, tigers and monkeys that were so young they were still being bottle-fed. Customers could have photos or videos made. Antle would sometimes ride into tours on an elephant. Myrtle Beach Safari remains open by reservation only, according to its website. Antle had remained out on bail since his arrest in June 2022. Antle's federal charges were brought after the 'Tiger King' series. Prosecutors said he sold or bought cheetahs, lions, tigers and a chimpanzee without the proper paperwork. And they said in a separate scheme, Antle laundered more than $500,000 that an informant told him was being used to get people into the U.S. illegally to work. Antle was used to having large amounts of money he could move around quickly, investigators said. The FBI was listening to Antle's phone calls with the informant as he explained a baby chimpanzee could easily cost $200,000. Private zookeepers can charge hundreds of dollars for photos with docile young primates or other animals, but the profit window is only open for a few years before the growing animals can no longer be safely handled. 'I had to get a monkey, but the people won't take a check. They only take cash. So what do you do?' Antle said according to a transcript of the phone call in court papers. Two of Antle's employees have already been sentenced for their roles in his schemes. Meredith Bybee was given a year of probation for selling a chimpanzee while Andrew 'Omar' Sawyer, who prosecutors said helped Antle launder money, was given two years of probation. Jason Clay, a Texas private zoo owner, pleaded guilty to illegally selling a primate and was sentenced to four months in prison, while charges were dropped against California ranch owner Charles Sammut. Antle was also convicted in 2023 in a Virginia court of four counts of wildlife trafficking over sales of lions and was sentenced to two years of prison suspended 'upon five years of good behavior.' An appeals court overturned two of the convictions, ruling that Virginia law bans the sale of endangered species but not their purchase. Antle was found not guilty of five counts of animal cruelty at that same Virginia trial.
CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Latest ‘Tiger King' twist finds ‘Doc' Antle sentenced to 1 year in prison for animal traffickin
Animal stories Endangered lifeFacebookTweetLink Follow 'Tiger King' star Bhagavan 'Doc' Antle was sentenced on Tuesday to one year and a day in federal prison and fined $55,000 for trafficking in exotic animals and money laundering after pleading guilty in November 2023. Antle's fate was resolved in a federal courtroom in Charleston, South Carolina, five years after the true crime documentary 'Tiger King' captivated a country shut down by COVID-19. Three others who pleaded guilty in his investigation received either probation or a four-month prison sentence. Antle's sentence is the final true-life chapter of the Tiger King saga. The Netflix series debuted in March 2020 near the peak of COVID-19 restrictions. The show centered on dealers and conservationists of big cats, focusing on disputes between Joe Exotic, a collector and private zookeeper from Oklahoma, and Carole Baskin, who runs Big Cat Rescue in Florida. Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is serving a 21-year federal prison sentence for trying to hire two different men to kill Baskin. Antle, who owns a private zoo called Myrtle Beach Safari, appeared in the first season of the documentary and was the star of the third season. Antle's zoo was known for charging hundreds or thousands of dollars to let people pet and hold baby animals like lions, tigers and monkeys that were so young they were still being bottle-fed. Customers could have photos or videos made. Antle would sometimes ride into tours on an elephant. Myrtle Beach Safari remains open by reservation only, according to its website. Antle had remained out on bail since his arrest in June 2022. Antle's federal charges were brought after the 'Tiger King' series. Prosecutors said he sold or bought cheetahs, lions, tigers and a chimpanzee without the proper paperwork. And they said in a separate scheme, Antle laundered more than $500,000 that an informant told him was being used to get people into the U.S. illegally to work. Antle was used to having large amounts of money he could move around quickly, investigators said. The FBI was listening to Antle's phone calls with the informant as he explained a baby chimpanzee could easily cost $200,000. Private zookeepers can charge hundreds of dollars for photos with docile young primates or other animals, but the profit window is only open for a few years before the growing animals can no longer be safely handled. 'I had to get a monkey, but the people won't take a check. They only take cash. So what do you do?' Antle said according to a transcript of the phone call in court papers. Two of Antle's employees have already been sentenced for their roles in his schemes. Meredith Bybee was given a year of probation for selling a chimpanzee while Andrew 'Omar' Sawyer, who prosecutors said helped Antle launder money, was given two years of probation. Jason Clay, a Texas private zoo owner, pleaded guilty to illegally selling a primate and was sentenced to four months in prison, while charges were dropped against California ranch owner Charles Sammut. Antle was also convicted in 2023 in a Virginia court of four counts of wildlife trafficking over sales of lions and was sentenced to two years of prison suspended 'upon five years of good behavior.' An appeals court overturned two of the convictions, ruling that Virginia law bans the sale of endangered species but not their purchase. Antle was found not guilty of five counts of animal cruelty at that same Virginia trial.
