Tiger King Figure Bhagavan Antle Sentenced for Wildlife Trafficking

July 8 – Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, known from “Tiger King,” has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for his involvement in exotic animal trafficking. The sentencing took place in Charleston, South Carolina.

Judge Joseph Lawson III imposed a 12-month and one-day prison term along with a $55,000 fine and three years of supervised release for violating the Lacey Act, according to reports.

The Lacey Act makes it illegal to sell wildlife, fish, or plants that have been unlawfully obtained, including those that are federally protected.

Antle appeared in the Netflix series “Tiger King,” which premiered in March 2020. He previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and money laundering in November 2023.

During the court hearing, Antle admitted, “I made a mistake. I did something stupid that shouldn’t have happened, and I hope to turn things around.”

He founded the Myrtle Beach Safari Wildlife Reserve in South Carolina and faced accusations of plotting to acquire two tigers, lion cubs, cheetah cubs, and young chimpanzees between September 2018 and May 2020. These animals are protected under federal laws regarding at-risk species.

Federal prosecutors revealed that Antle used bulk cash payments and forged documents to hide the financial transactions, including making donations to wildlife sanctuaries to cover up his dealings.

Additionally, Antle faced allegations of money laundering related to transporting “illegal aliens” from February to April 2022, for which he was thought to receive a 15% fee.

He was arrested on wildlife trafficking charges in June 2022 and was found guilty on multiple counts in a Virginia federal court in 2023.

A Virginia court handed down suspended sentences of two years and a $10,000 fine for these convictions.

The Court of Appeal later overturned two of those convictions and prohibited Antle from engaging in activities involving non-native species in Virginia for five years.

Two of his employees also faced legal repercussions. Meredith Byby received a year of probation for selling chimpanzees, while Andrew Sawyer was given two years of probation for aiding Antle’s financial activities.