‘Tiger King’ star Doc Antle expected in court today on money laundering charges
One of the stars of the hit Netflix documentary series “Tiger King” is expected to appear in court Monday for an initial hearing following his arrest by federal authorities.
Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, was booked Friday into J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
No charges are currently listed, but sources close to the case told The Sun News that his charges relate to money laundering, and more details will be available following his hearing Monday.
Two other men were also arrested Friday in Horry County by the FBI with no charges listed, but it’s unclear whether the arrests are related. All three remain incarcerated as of Monday morning, according to online detention records.
Antle operates the popular Myrtle Beach Safari, also known as The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), in Socastee, where he offers hands-on experiences with lion and tiger cubs.
He’s long drawn criticism from animal advocacy groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, though he became more of well known figure nationally after being featured in “Tiger King,” which first aired during March 2020.
The Netflix series primarily focuses on Joe Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic, a boisterous exotic animal exhibitor in Oklahoma who was sentenced to 22 years in jail for attempting to hire someone to murder Carole Baskin, an outspoken animal rights activist who operates a big cat sanctuary near Tampa, Florida.
Exotic previously told The Sun News that he considered Antle as a sort of mentor, though Antle denied anything more than a “peripheral” connection. Antle has also been a target of Baskin, who has worked to create laws against private ownership and profiting off of big cats.
During the initial series and a follow-up that focuses more on Antle, the Myrtle Beach-area exhibitor is accused of running a cult, euthanizing tiger cubs and inappropriate relationships with underage girls. He has publicly denied all the allegations and never faced charges related to any of those accusations.
Antle is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to animal trafficking and animal cruelty in Virginia. A trial on those charges is set to begin Oct. 31, according to online court records.
This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 10:39 AM.
