A federal grand jury in the US state of South Carolina indicted five people on charges of wildlife trafficking and money laundering, including Doc Antle, who starred in the 2020 Netflix series Tiger King, the US Justice Department said on Thursday.
The indictment alleges that Mr Antle and others illegally trafficked wildlife in breach of federal law and made false records regarding that wildlife.
The animals involved included lemurs, cheetahs and a chimpanzee, the Justice Department said.
The indictment names Andrew Sawyer, Meredith Bybee, Charles Sammut and Jason Clay, along with Mr Antle.
Endangered animals in the UAE - in pictures
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The Arabian oryx is on the UAE's latest Red List for endangered animals. Reuters -
About 700 Indian Ocean humpback dolphins inhabit Abu Dhabi waters. They are classed as endangered and are included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Photo: Environment Agency Abu Dhabi -
The sand gazelle is also on the list of endangered animals. Jaime Puebla / The National -
A female Arabian leopard at Al Ain Zoo. The zoo focuses on conserving wildlife and is involved in research and breeding. Photo: Al Ain Zoo -
The striped hyena has disappeared from many of its former habitats and is listed as 'near threatened' in others. Silvia Razgova / The National -
The Arabian gazelle is on the list of threatened mammals in the Arabian Peninsula. Pawan Singh / The National -
Researchers believe the Arabian wolf no longer exists in the wild in the Arabian Peninsula. Photo: Wikicommons
Their representatives could not immediately be reached for comment. Mr Antle's lawyer told a CBS affiliate that the indictment “was nothing we weren't expecting”.
The indictment also said that in recent months, Mr Antle and Mr Sawyer had laundered more than $500,000 in cash believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle immigrants across the Mexican border into the US.
Mr Antle had reportedly used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use cheques and planned to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at a wildlife preserve in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which he owned, the indictment said.
Mr Antle starred in Tiger King, the true crime series set in the world of private zoos and their eccentric owners, which became a worldwide phenomenon when it was aired in March 2020.
He and Mr Sawyer each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the charges related to money laundering and each of the five people face up to five years for the charges related to wildlife trafficking.
2021 Galapagos Photography Competition — in pictures
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'Misty mountain' – first place in the Landscape category. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Fisher Houston -
'Welcome to Galapagos' – joint second place in Up Close and Personal category. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Leighton Lum -
The winner of the Up Close and Personal category is this Espanola marine iguana. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Leighton Lum -
Second place overall went to this image 'Curious Sea Lions'. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Leighton Lum -
Animal in Action second place winner. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Leighton Lum -
The overall competition winner is this image of Nazca boobies. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Leighton Lum -
The photo at second place in Coastal and Marine category. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust -
'Land Iguana With the Munchies' took first place in the Animals in Action category. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust -
Second place in Urban Life category. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Juan Jaramillo -
An entry of lava rock formation in Santiago island. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Peter Topley -
This marine iguana image called 'Paradise' placed third overall and first in Coastal and Marine category. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Sam Whitton -
'A Flower for You' was given second place in the Birds of Galapagos category.Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Julie Gregoire -
'Do Not Disturb', the photo of a sea lion on Isabela Island ranked first in the Urban Life category. Courtesy Galapagos Conservation Trust / Fisher Houston.
