Doc Antle, real name Bhagavan Antle, has pleaded guilty to animal trafficking and conspiring to launder money after cutting a deal with the feds for his criminal case.
RELATED STORIES: Carole Baskin Says Her Missing Ex-Husband Is ‘Alive And Well’ In In Costa Rica
Antle pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of wildlife trafficking and one count of conspiracy to launder money, which both carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, as reported by TMZ.
The ‘Tiger King’ star was taken into custody by the FBI shortly after his indictment last summer after prosecutors revealed that Antle was involved in a scheme to traffic wildlife that lasted for several years. They also said that Antle hid financial transactions related to animal trafficking and had conducted the sales of cheetah cubs, lion cubs, tigers, and a chimp.
RELATED STORIES: Joe Exotic Announces 2024 Presidential Run From Prison
They also said he allegedly used bulk payments to hide these transactions and falsified documents. He was also accused of using his non-profit for these sales to make them appear as donations. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to a suspended two-year sentence and banned from owning or dealing in exotic animals in Virginia for five years.
Before his arrest, Antle owned an animal sanctuary named Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina and was also accused of animal abuse along with illegally trafficking endangered species.
His claim to fame was his appearance in ‘Tiger King’ as a rival to Joe Exotic. Their opposing views on animal welfare fueled their rivalry. Exotic was a vocal critic of Antle’s methods, accusing him of animal abuse and illegal trafficking in endangered species. Antle, in turn, accused Exotic of being a fame-hungry showman who was more interested in making money than caring for his animals. Their rivalry escalated in 2017 when Exotic was arrested for allegedly hiring a hitman to murder Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist who had been critical of his zoo. Antle was one of the people who testified against Exotic at his trial, and he was ultimately convicted of murder-for-hire and sentenced to 22 years in prison.