'Tiger King' star Doc Antle Charged With Money Laundering

Federal prosecutors charged Tiger King’s star Bhagavan “Doc” Antle in South Carolina with money laundering on Monday after his arrest on June 3.

According to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina, 62-year-old Antle and business associate Andrew Jon Sawyer, 52, allegedly laundered $505,000 in cash over the last four months.

Federal prosecutors have said that Antle believed the money to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle people over the Mexican border into the U.S., according to the Guardian.

Prosecutors allege the checks were payment for construction work done at the Myrtle Beach Safari which Antle owns and was featured on Netflix’s Tiger King. In truth, they were intended to be used to serve as evidence that the men had legitimate income.

According to the criminal complaint, Antle discussed his plan to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers.

If convicted, Antle and Sawyer could both face 20 years in prison.

Animal rights advocates and groups such as PETA have accused Antle of mistreating lions, tigers, and other wildlife. He was indicted in Virginia in 2020 on animal cruelty and wildlife charges.