Tiger King star 'Doc' Antle charged with wildlife trafficking and money laundering 

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, who starred in the 2020 docuseries “Tiger King,” was indicted along with other defendants on ten counts of wildlife trafficking and money laundering charges. 

Antle, the owner of a 50-acre private zoo that was featured in the television show “Tiger King,” is facing up to 20 years in federal prison for money laundering and up to five years for wildlife trafficking. 

A statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of South Carolina claimed Antle "laundered more than $500,000 in cash they believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States."

The indictment, which was received on June 28, states that Antle and his employee "procured or attempted to procure bulk cash receipts, regardless of the source, and used that cash for a variety of purposes, including purchasing animals and for other purposes tied to the Myrtle Beach Safari."

The complaint adds that Antle allegedly told the informant he concealed “the transaction and moved the cash through the Myrtle Beach Safari by inflating tourist numbers."

Additionally, Antle and the four others allegedly violated federal laws by trafficking wildlife into the U.S. and falsified records for several animals, including lemurs, a chimpanzee, and cheetahs, which are threatened under the Endangered Species Act. 

The others indicted along with Antle include two of his employees, Omar Sawyer, 52, and Meredith Bybee, 51, as well as Charles Sammut, 61, owner of a business that houses captive exotic animals and sells them, and Jason Clay, operator of the Franklin Drive Through Safari. 

Antle was previously indicted on a separate wildlife trafficking charge in October 2020, after an investigation conducted by then-Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring. 

"I have spent my entire professional life promoting the welfare and conservation of big cats and other species. I have deep regard and feelings for the animals in my care and would never hurt or abuse them in any way," Antle said at the time. "I look forward to being able to answer these charges and to be able to clear my good name," 

A federal judge in South Carolina set Antle’s bond $250,000. 

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Wildlife Service.