MYRTLE BEACH, SC — Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, known from the Netflix series “Tiger King,” entered a guilty plea for charges related to wildlife trafficking and money laundering.
In federal court proceedings, Antle admitted to conspiring in the illegal sale of wildlife and laundering monetary instruments. The charges carry a potential sentence of up to five years in federal prison and a subsequent three-year supervised release for each count.
The guilty plea is a development subsequent to Antle’s suspended two-year sentence in Virginia for similar wildlife-related offenses. Alongside the suspended sentence, Antle is ordered to pay $10,000 in fines.
Federal prosecutors outlined Antle’s involvement in the trafficking of several exotic animal species, including cheetahs, lions, tigers, and a chimpanzee. Efforts to disguise the illegal transactions as legitimate were detailed, with Antle making cash payments and falsifying documents to present the sales as non-commercial or donations.
Antle, along with an associate, also conducted financial transactions with what they believed to be proceeds from the smuggling of undocumented immigrants.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim stressed the contradiction between Antle’s self-portrayal as a conservationist and his repeated offenses against endangered species, reinforcing the department’s commitment to addressing such illegal activities.
Antle’s public persona was previously scrutinized in “Tiger King,” where he was depicted among a group of flamboyant and contentious zookeepers. The series highlighted various aspects of his life, including claims of abuse which Antle has consistently denied.