Tiger King star Bhagavan “Doc” Antle can breathe a sigh of relief as a bond has been set in his case. Prosecutors allege he laundered more than half a million dollars, money federal prosecutors have said he believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle people across the Mexican border into the United States, The New York Post reports. His bond is set at $250,000 secured bond for Antle, who was still listed as being held in jail as of Monday evening. Upon his release, he will be confined to his 50-acre (20-hectare) wildlife tropical preserve in Socastee, which is near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Prosecutors previously argued Antle should remain in custody prior to his trial because he is a flight risk. They listed his “significant financial resources” and “contacts that know how to make false identification documents.”
His attorney stated otherwise. The 62-year-old Netflix feature has no prior convictions. He also has reported health conditions, suffering from an irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure. Per his attorney’s note, “which can exacerbate the symptoms of COVID-19 should Antle contract the disease while he is incarcerated.”
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Antle allegedly laundered $505,000 over a four-month period by doling out checks from businesses they controlled. In return, he received a 15% fee of the money. The checks were reportedly falsely purported to be payments for construction work at Myrtle Beach Safari. In reality, prosecutors intend to us it as evidence that Antle had legitimate income.
Antle is said to have discussed his plan to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at his wildlife preserve. He also allegedly previously used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks. He faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.ย
