'Tiger King' star Mahamayavi Bhagavan Antle, also known as Kevin Antle or Doc Antle, was arrested by the FBI and is set to appear in court on Monday to face federal money-laundering accusations, as per a report on the Associated Press.
The controversial wild animal trainer was apprehended by federal investigators on Friday, and he has been held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway, South Carolina, for the entire weekend. The allegations against Antle were due to be formally announced during a court hearing in Florence, South Carolina, on Monday afternoon. According to the Associated Press, the charges stem from allegations of money laundering.
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'Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, And Madness', 2020 Netflix documentary miniseries on tiger breeders and private zoo operators in the United States, features Antle, the proprietor of the Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina.
Antle has been accused of mistreating lions and other wildlife by animal rights activists. In 2020, he was charged with animal abuse and wildlife trafficking in Virginia.
Not only that but he is also charged with two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to wildlife trafficking, as well as 13 misdemeanour counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and animal cruelty charges related to lion cub trafficking. The trial on these charges is set to begin next month.
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He has over 35 citations from the US Department of Agriculture for mistreating animals throughout the years.
