Tiger King Star Doc Antle Just Received Some Bad Legal News
Netflix hit gold in March 2020 thanks to "Tiger King." According to the streaming platform (via Complex), 64 million tuned in to watch the docu-series during its first month of release. Joe Exotic's colorful love life, bleached mullet, amazing music videos, and insane feud with Carole Baskin helped many a lonely soul through the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown."Tiger King 2" kept viewers riveted and a "Tiger King" spinoff series quickly followed. To ensure Netflix milked the cash cow dry, they also released "Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story."
It wasn't just Joe Exotic causing all of the "Tiger King" drama. An array of other bizarre and downright dodgy characters also popped up. The shadier than shady Jeff Lowe managed to finagle Joe Exotic's zoo out from under his nose following some highly questionable maneuvers, while Carole's second husband, the meek and slightly strange Howard Baskin, replaced her previous spouse, Don Lewis, following his mysterious disappearance in 1997. Rumors claimed Carole killed Lewis and fed him to her tigers. However, according to Sky News, Lewis is reportedly alive and living it up in Costa Rica.
Then there was Doc Antle, with his weird cult-like compound life, multiple young "wives," outlandish claims, and dubious dealings. Netflix's special documentary exposed the self-professed spiritual guru for the charlatan he was, with numerous claims of abuse, assault, and animal cruelty. Given his slippery shenanigans, it's little surprise that Doc Antle just received some bad legal news to add to his already burgeoning woes.
Tiger King star Doc Antle is facing serious time behind bars
It was always just a matter of time before the feds came knocking at Doc Antle's door. Netflix's "Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story" opened a Pandora's box of disturbing incidents, lies, manipulations, and allegations involving the teen girl aficionado and big cat collector. According to reports, that time has now come. Avery G. Wilks from The Post and Courier shared the news on social.
"Myrtle Beach Safari owner [Doc Antle] has just been indicted on money laundering and wildlife trafficking charges by a federal grand jury in Florence, S.C.," Wilks tweeted. "The animals involved included lemurs, cheetahs & a chimpanzee. The charges carry 20 years in prison." The investigative reporter shared that the U.S. Attorney's Office accused Antle and a buddy of laundering $500,000 of dirty cash. They allege the money came from coyotes smuggling illegal immigrants over the Mexican border into the U.S.
It's not Antle's first time at the FBI rodeo. Per Forbes, the former magician-turned-Bhagavan deity was busted back in 2020 for allegedly trafficking lion cubs across state borders. Antle was booked on two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and 13 misdemeanor counts of "conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and animal cruelty charges." To date, the United States Department of Agriculture has charged Antle with 35 violations for cruelty to animals. He's currently locked up in South Carolina's J. Reuben Long Detention Center, awaiting court proceedings. Antle maintains his innocence on all charges.