FREDERICK COUNTY, Va. — Bhagavan Antle, also known as Doc Antle from the Netflix series “Tiger King," was convicted in Frederick County, Virginia on wildlife trafficking charges Friday.
Antle was accused of illegally buying endangered lion clubs in Frederick County to show at his zoo business in South Carolina, according to the Office of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.
He was convicted on two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and two felony counts of conspiring to wildlife traffic. He is set to be sentenced on Sept. 14.
The investigation began in 2019 and was led by the attorney general's animal law unit.
“Virginia’s animal cruelty laws are not taken lightly by my office," Miyares wrote. "I’m proud of my Animal Law Unit for their tireless work and I’m thrilled that the jury not only agreed with us but sent a message that Virginia does not tolerate wildlife animal trafficking."
Antle was originally featured in "Tiger King," which documented the life of former zookeeper Joe Exotic, who was convicted in the murder-for-hire plot of his rival, Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin.
He eventually became the subject of a spin-off entitled "Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story," which examined accusations of sexual abuse, violence, and misconduct against him.