Virginia jury convicts Myrtle Beach Safari owner of wildlife trafficking
RICHMOND, Va. (WMBF/WWBT) – The Myrtle Beach man featured in the Netflix series “Tiger King” was convicted last week on charges that he faced out of Virginia.
Investigators said Doc Antle illegally purchased lion cubs in Frederick County, Va. for display at Myrtle Beach Safari.
A jury found him guilty on two counts of wildlife trafficking and two counts of conspiring to wildlife traffic.
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He was also tried on animal cruelty charges but was found not guilty.
Sentencing for Antle on the wildlife trafficking convictions is scheduled for Sept. 14.
But legal troubles aren’t over for Antle who still faces several federal charges in connection with his dealings at Myrtle Beach Safari.
Authorities arrested Antle in Horry County in June 2022 on money laundering charges.
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He and his business associate, Andrew Sawyer, are accused of laundering over $500,000 in cash that they believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border.
He was then charged in a federal wildlife trafficking case, where he’s accused of illegally trafficking animals such as lemurs, cheetahs and a chimpanzee.
At this time, there is no trial date set on the federal charges against him out of South Carolina.
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Source: WMBF
