Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, widely known for his role in the Netflix docuseries Tiger King, has been sentenced to one year in federal prison for his involvement in wildlife trafficking and money laundering schemes, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Following a guilty plea in November 2023, Antle admitted to violating the Lacey Act by illegally trafficking endangered wildlife, including cheetahs, lions, tigers, and chimpanzees, between 2018 and 2020. He also pleaded guilty to laundering over $500,000 in what he believed to be proceeds from smuggling undocumented immigrants into the United States.
As part of his sentence, Antle must serve 12 months in prison, pay a $55,000 fine, forfeit over $197,000, and surrender three chimpanzees. He will also be under supervised release for three years.
“Doc Antle portrayed himself as a conservationist, but in reality, he was a central figure in the illegal trade of endangered species,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “He laundered significant sums of money through deceptive practices, further highlighting the serious nature of his crimes.”
Federal prosecutors first charged Antle in June 2022 alongside Andrew Jon Sawyer, who assisted in the money laundering operation. Antle is the founder of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), also known as Myrtle Beach Safari.
In connection with the broader conspiracy, co-defendant Jason Clay received a four-month prison sentence and four months of home confinement, in addition to a $4,000 fine. Sawyer was sentenced to two years of probation, including eight months of home detention, and forfeited nearly $185,000 and a chimpanzee.
“Today’s sentencing of Doc Antle and his associates sends a clear message: wildlife trafficking and money laundering will not be tolerated,” said Adam Gustafson, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “These individuals knowingly participated in unethical and illegal conduct while misleading the public about their conservation efforts.”
In a related case, Shaylynn Kolwyck-Peterson pleaded guilty in June to illegally selling a chimpanzee to Antle for $200,000. The Sunshine Zoological Preserve LLC, operated by the Kolwyck family, is believed to be the only facility in the U.S. breeding chimpanzees for non-scientific use.
The government is represented by Patrick M. Duggan of the DOJ’s Environmental Crimes Section and Amy Bower of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
The case is titled U.S. v. Antle, case number 4:22-cr-00580, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
