‘Tiger King’ Star Pleads Guilty to Wildlife Trafficking, Money Laundering
Tiger King star Bhagavan “Doc” Antle pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to break the Lacey Act, which bans trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, and conspiracy to launder money, the Justice Department said. According to WMBF, Antle was involved in the trade of two cheetah cubs, two lion cubs, two tigers, and one chimpanzee, which are all protected by the Endangered Species Act. The DOJ said he used cash payments to conceal the business transactions and faked paperwork to make it seem like they were non-commercial transfers that happened within state lines. Antle’s money laundering charge stemmed from him and a colleague making cash transactions to transport and harbor illegal immigrants. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release for each offense.
