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By Hollie Silverman and Jenna Sundel
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A federal judge handed down a one-year-and-one-day prison sentence to Bhagavan "Doc" Antle in a South Carolina courtroom Tuesday, according to the Associated Press (AP).
In addition to the jail time, Antle will also be fined $55,000 after he pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking exotic animals and money laundering in November 2023, the report said.
Three other people involved in the case received various sentences tied to the investigation, including probation and a four-month prison term.
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Why It Matters
Antle appeared in season one of the Netflix show Tiger King and was featured in season three. The show focused on the downfall of exotic animal dealer Joe Exotic and other participants in the big-cat business.
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Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving a 21-year sentence for trying to hire hit men to kill his nemesis, cat sanctuary founder Carole Baskin.
Antle owns a safari in the Myrtle Beach area that allows visitors to hold exotic baby animals including lions and tigers.
What To Know
Antle's lawyers requested a sentence of probation and home confinement, citing the 150 exotic animals under his care at Myrtle Beach Safari. They said the animals require 1,000 pounds of meat each day and many only respond to Antle.
Prosecutors alleged that Antle laundered more than $500,000 as he illegally bought and transported big cats and monkeys, Newsweek previously reported.
The animals were illegal to sell due to their endangered status, the prosecution said.
"He was knowingly and illegally trading them as part of a black market that drives another black market of poaching and smuggling," prosecutor Patrick Duggan said in court Tuesday.
The prosecution requested about two years in prison, which was the recommended sentence under federal guidelines.
About 25 of Antle's family and friends were in attendance at the proceeding. Several spoke to Antle's character, mentioning his fundraising efforts to fight poaching and preserve habitats for wildlife.
Two of Antle's employees were also sentenced for their roles in the scheme. Meredith Bybee was given a year of probation for selling a chimpanzee and Andrew "Omar" Sawyer was given two years of probation for money laundering.
Jason Clay, a Texas private-zoo owner, received a four-month prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to illegally selling a primate.
What People Are Saying
Brittany Peet, PETA Foundation general counsel for captive animal law enforcement, in a statement sent to Newsweek: "Antle will finally learn how it feels to be stripped of freedom, locked in a cage, and have every moment of every day controlled. But unlike Antle, the animals he sentenced to life at his sleazy roadside zoo have committed no crimes, and PETA will work to shut down Myrtle Beach Safari and ensure that the exploited big cats, chimpanzees, and other endangered animals still imprisoned there are released to reputable facilities where they will get the care they so desperately need and deserve."
Antle, at his sentencing: "I made a mistake, I did stupid things. I hope I'll be able to pull it back together for everybody."
What Happens Next
The safari remains open by reservation only, the AP reported. Antle must turn over three chimpanzees he bought as part of the plea deal.
This article contains reporting by the AP.
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