J. Reuben Long Detention Center
Mahamayavi Bhagavan Antle, AKA Kevin Antle or Doc Antle, is now the latest Tiger King star to be facing prison time as he recently plead guilty to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act (exotic animal trafficking) and conspiracy to launder money.
Antle submitted his plea on Monday in a South Carolina federal court.
He now faces a maximum of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release on each charge.
Federal prosecutors claimed Antle conspired to traffic two cheetah cubs, two lion cubs, two tigers and one juvenile chimpanzee, according to Law & Crime.
“The defendant held himself out as a conservationist, yet repeatedly violated laws protecting endangered animals and then tried to cover up those violations,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
Doc Antle was arrested by the FBI in June 2022 in South Carolina on two counts of money laundering of $505,000.
He was also accused of inflating the tourist numbers at his wildlife preserve in Myrtle Beach in an effort to conceal cash.
Antle was one of main Tiger King star Joe Exotic’s competitors in the world of big cats with his Myrtle Beach Safari.
Antle has been accused of numerous offenses over the years including animal abuse, the illegal sale of big cats, sleeping with underage females, and running a cult.
Earlier this year, Antle was given a two-year suspended sentence and $10,000 in fines for illegally buying lion cubs by a state court in Frederick County, Virginia.
Antle, Joseph “Joe Exotic” Maldonado-Passage, as well as Jeff and Lauren Lowe, have all had run-ins with the law since Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness premiered on Netflix in March 2020.
Carole Baskin, the fourth main big cat owner featured in Tiger King, went on to appear on Dancing With The Stars while her missing husband’s family continues to accuse her of having him killed.