Box 31210 Myrtle Beach, SC 29588. Female recruits must be single and childless, and must be within 20 pounds of their perfect athletic weight or working to get there. In return, they live on the compound and get a small weekly stipend. Copyright 2022 WMBF. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre wildlife tropical preserve in Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach Safari owner Doc Antle charged with money laundering related to human smuggling Roadside Zoo News Home About News Donate Contact Something Isnt Working Refresh the page to try again. The direct-to-end-user approach employed by the RSF places it among the worlds most effective conservation advocates and ensures the greatest value for every dollar spent. The complaint alleges that over the last four months, Antle and Sawyer laundered $505,000 in cash they believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States. Doc is frequently consulted and appears as a world-renowned on-screen wildlife expert for networks like the National Geographic Channel, BBC, Discovery Channel, and CNN. Read moreParent sues SC school district in wake of principal, teacher abuse arrests, A recent study suggests the Myrtle Beach area is in a good spot heading into the upcoming tourism season despite uncertainties over the national economy. The same investigation led authorities to seize 119 animals from Keith A. Wilson of Wilson's Wild Animal Park in Virginia. Ride-along: What does it take to run a Charleston food truck? Its mentioned in the show that Antle did not attend Toppings funeral. The U.S. Attorney's Office is asking for them to remain detained. Animal cruelty. In addition to founding T.I.G.E.R.S., a 50-acre wildlife preserve in Myrtle Beach, the Myrtle Beach Safari has been in business for nearly 30 years. He called one of the staff members his little Italian girlfriend, and noted another staffer was one of my lovely girlfriends for a long time. As the series explores, Antle has a perturbing set of requirements to work at Myrtle Beach Safari, which has led to accusations of his zoo being a cult. The kid that narrates, he does a good job because hes a professional stage magician, but hes just a kid I hired when he was a teenager to do a couple blip jobs, Antle said of Diamond, whos featured prominently in the series. Antle and Sawyer each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the charges related to money laundering, and up to five years in federal prison for the charges related to wildlife trafficking. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. viewers are sure to recognize new presenter Kamie Crawford, who recently opened up about her own breakup, following Terrence J's exit. The cats had toys like your average household dog and cat, they loved to chew on. nmasuda@postandcourier.com, Myrtle Beach Safari owner claims Netflix's 'Tiger King' exaggerated, denies having a harem, New South Carolina law will make private ownership of wild animals illegal, Facing animal cruelty charges, 'Doc' Antle takes aim at animal extremists' and Tiger King, Oklahoma judge orders 'Tiger King' zoo to turn over big cats, Daughter of 'Tiger King' star Doc Antle arrested after Myrtle Beach traffic stop, 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic resentenced to 21 years in prison, 'Tiger King' star Doc Antle facing up to 20 years in prison on money laundering charges, FBI investigation details 'Tiger King' star Doc Antles alleged money laundering, 'Tiger King' star Doc Antle should be freed over health issues his lawyers plan to argue, Richland Two superintendent resigns after 6-hour closed-door board meeting, Charleston's Carnival ship set sail on a cruise to nowhere, Large town center-type project planned for North Charleston near new I-26 interchange. Doc has worked on over 500 films, documentaries, TV shows and advertisements of all kinds. Federal documents also claim that Antle and his business associate, Andrew Sawyer, laundered over $500,000 in cash they believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States. Greenville:(864) 282-2100 Antle was made famous in the hit Netflix series Tiger King. His credits include films like Ace Ventura, Dr. Doolittle, Mighty Joe Young, Disneys Jungle Book and many, many more. Attorneys Derek A. Shoemake and Amy Bower are prosecuting the case. Bhagavan Mahamayavi Antle, aka Kevin Antle, aka Doc Antle, 62, of Myrtle Beach; Andrew Jon Sawyer aka Omar Sawyer, 52, of Myrtle Beach; Meredith Bybee, aka Moksha Bybee, 51, of Myrtle Beach; Charles Sammut, 61, of Salinas, California; and. File/Provided. (Tawny was arrested again on Dec. 1, 2021 for the unlawful possession of a pistol, but was later released. Explore more crossword clues and answers by clicking on the results or quizzes. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre wildlife tropical preserve in Myrtle Beach. Attorneys Derek A. Shoemake and Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina and Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section. If you really take the time to roll it, the murder is so dang silly, Antle said. I love a tiger, but Im not challenging mountains. While the Fund does not limit its geographic footprint, its support has primarily focused on projects in South America, Africa, and Thailand. When I say 'my girl,' its a cowboy saying, its not that these are my wives," he told Oxygen.com. Accommodations are available for up to 20 guests in six rooms. Guests must be participating in an experience at the Myrtle Beach Safari to stay at the Safari Manor. This VIP lodging stay will include airport pickup, transportation to any Safari activities, and VIP tour check-in. He also said that many of the people interviewed in the original Tiger King and The Doc Antle Story he was barely featured in Tiger King 2 were portrayed as if they worked for him when that wasnt true. It was to tell a tale and almost everybody in there, pretty much every single person in there, except for, of course my first, second and third wives, every person in there hasnt spent a dozen hours with me, said Antle, who says hes suing Netflix over the original Tiger King series he was featured on. In a 2020 interview with People, he described the 50-acre property as the Ritz-Carlton of wildlife facilities.". The Socastee resident expects to be included in the show. The indictment alleges that Antle, at various times along with Bybee, Sammut and Clay, illegally trafficked wildlife in violation of federal law, including the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act, and made false records regarding that wildlife. Netflixs Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story alleges that Antle runs his zoo like a cult leader. Dallis' charges have not yet been publicly announced. In Tiger King, Maria Tabraue suggested that Doc Antle has three wives: Rajnee, Moksha, and China, who Antle described as his girls on the show. Charleston:(843) 727-4381 On Dec. 8, he simply posted a video of him smiling with Bubbles the elephant, encouraging people to visit Myrtle Beach Safari to meet this wonderful girl thats been hanging out with me for the past 38 years.. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina, Doc Antle, Owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, and Employee Charged with Federal Money Laundering Crimes, antle-mahamayavi_et_al_complaint_unsealed.pdf, Doc Antle, Owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, and Employee Charged With Federal Money Laundering Crimes. Unlike a zoo where all the animals are behind fences and barriers, the animals are brought right next to you, or even into your lap! He was hanging around, but he narrates the show as if he has a personal relationship.. Florence:(843) 665-6688. In October 2020, he was indicted in Virginia on 15 charges of wildlife trafficking and animal cruelty following a months-long investigation into his dealings with private zoo owner Keith Wilson, who Antle sold lions to across state lines. Hes just a whole other kind of character. Read moreBrookgreen Gardens soon to be home to pack of endangered red wolves, Post and Courier Myrtle Beach Once the big cats are all sent away, the group got to watch Ahren the African Fish Eagle, fly over our heads. Georgetown, SC 29440, News tips/online questions: ashain@postandcourier.com, Delivery/subscription questions: subserve@postandcourier.com, var html = new Date().getFullYear(); FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA A federal grand jury in Florence returned a 10-count indictment alleging charges related to wildlife trafficking and money laundering against five individuals: According to the indictment and other court records, Antle is the owner and operator of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S), also known as the Myrtle Beach Safari. They now have Hercules, the 900 pound liger! Bhagavan Mahamayavi Antle, a/k/a Kevin Antle, a/k/a Doc Antle, 62, of Myrtle Beach; Andrew Jon Sawyer a/k/a Omar Sawyer, 52, of Myrtle Beach; Meredith Bybee, a/k/a Moksha Bybee, 51, of Myrtle Beach; Charles Sammut, 61, of Salinas, California; and. Please reconsider what you have written about MBS in the light of what you know now. A locked padlock Another captive tiger just tested positive for the novel coronavirus, but the recently indicted Doc Antle hasnt let federal recommendations against cub-petting stop his search for a little limelight, PETA said in a statement, per WBTW News 13. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. His legal battle is ongoing, with his trial set to begin July 25, 2022. Antle also discussed plans to conceal the cash by inflating the number of visitors to Myrtle Beach Safari. Antle called The Doc Antle Story poorly done, though he thought the original Tiger King was well-done despite being what hes called entertainment and not a true documentary. In 1983 Doc founded T.I.G.E.R.S. According to the indictment and other court records, Antle is the owner and operator of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S), also known as the Myrtle Beach Safari. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre wildlife tropical preserve in Myrtle Beach. Sawyer and Bybee are Antles employees and business associates. Made with @triller #triller pic.twitter.com/kYmWO1462M, Made with @triller #triller pic.twitter.com/kFqH6lCd3b. My heart did race a little because after all, he is a wild cat! The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre wildlife tropical preserve in Myrtle Beach. A visit to this safari is not something I would be advertising on the internet. Running from the police. Doc Antle may have some iffy relationships, but that has nothing to do with the treatment of the animals. We look forward to fighting these charges. He is facing felony charges in Virginia related to illegal wildlife trafficking. as a wildlife preservation organization dedicated to promoting global conservation education through entertaining and interactive programs. After meeting Bubbles, we got to hold some gibbons and a lemur!! Bring it on. The T.I.G.E.R.S. His Facebook page indicates he is the president of the nonprofit organization Hunting with a Hero. U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. I have a lot of people writing me and saying that now they know I will go to jail for this murder of my friend who fell off of a cliff.. We have a very long road ahead of us. | Terms of Use| Privacy Policy. (Nick Papantonis/WPDE) MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) Doc Antle, founder and director of TIGERS Myrtle Beach Safari, issued the following The latest charges against Antle and Sawyer carry up to 20 years in prison. These guys look a lot like dogs, but bigger and more fierce. Lock Read moreMyrtle Beach tourism season expected to remain steady despite economic uncertainty, The popular South Carolina destination Brookgreen Gardens has started construction on a home for a pack of red wolves, one of the most endangered species in the world. They run that story pretty good. Sawyer and Bybee are Antles employees and business associates. (Bustle reached out to Antle for comment on the series, but has not received a response). Now is your chance to see it, Has The Resident Been Renewed For Season 7? The trainers clearly love the animals they work with, and we even learned some of the animal cubs actually sleep with their trainers. After confirming to police that the primate was from his facility, Antle later denied the animal was his, suggesting that people were confused by what they saw. We know firsthand all about his treatment of animals. The Humane Society also noted in 2015 that Antle often supplied cubs to other private zoos, and in reality was likely breeding as many as 50 tigers per season. Hubert Clodfelter's remains were found by his daughters in June 2019 in a garbage bag at the Myrtle Beach Travel Park where he and his wife had a beach house. While Tiger King brought into question his motivations for his work with wildlife, Antle was quick to debunk the accusations of euthanizing tigers as baseless. Keith Wilson, the owner of Wilsons Wild Animal Park in Northern Virginia, was indicted on multiple felony counts, as well as 17 misdemeanors. All rights reserved. These guys are just all around bigger than dogs. Per Myrtle Beach Online, most of RSFs money has been spent on animal ambassadors based within Myrtle Beach Safari as in, it appears Antle is using money brought in through his nonprofit to fund his own zoo. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Antle could face up to five years in prison on each new wildlife trafficking count along with a year for the label violation. Wilson and his nephew Christian DallAcqua were already indicted for 46 counts of animal cruelty in November 2019. Bybee, Sammut and Clay each face up to five years in federal prison for the charges related to the wildlife trafficking. Myrtle Beach Safari offers the chance to meet and greet about eleven different animals in an exciting way. The filings allege that Antle had used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks, and that Antle planned to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at the Myrtle Beach Safari. We were slightly nervous of claws and teeth, but it was so thrilling to play with these little guys. "That's not a documentary,"Antle told The Post and Courier in March, describing the series as "quasi-fictional drama, more focused on shock value and titillation than fact.". Watching such an awesome bird fly and fetch in such close proximity was pretty cool. A federal criminal complaint for 62-year-old Doc Antle, who is also known for being in the Netflix show Tiger King, was unsealed on Monday. The owner of Myrtle Beach Safari faces two felony charges and more than a dozen misdemeanors after authorities say he and another zoo operator trafficked lion cubs between Virginia and South Carolina. Antles charges include felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking, along with misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act. Antle essentially discounted all of the tales told aside from some of what his three ex-wives said. Myrtle Beach Safari owner featured in Tiger King pleads not guilty in federal wildlife trafficking case, VIDEO: Man hospitalized after Beaufort Co. shooting, publicfile@live5news.com - (843) 402-5555. FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) Myrtle Beach Safari owner Bhagavan Doc Antle, facing federal money-laundering and wildlife trafficking charges, was back in court Wednesday The owner of a Northern Virginia zoo has also been indicted. His nephew, Christian DallAcqua, was found guilty of 19 misdemeanor counts. An award-winning journalist, he has reported on all types of news, sports and features stories in over a decade as a member of the staff. Antle founded The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S. It is the greatest story ever told that didnt happen. They wanted a story they thought would sell, he said. 2 in charge at his Virginia zoo, Mark Mitra Topping, off a cliff, where he fell to his death. Dallis' page also contains several photos that appear to show him interacting with the animals at Myrtle Beach Safari. Just dont base all of your decisions from a TV show that was made to take down Joe Exotic. Environment and Natural Resources Division. David Wetzel serves in both editor and reporter roles for The Sun News. Thank you very much for your attention to this message. Im a while away from making the trip, so to get something remotely close within the An animal I wasnt expecting was a warthog! Mahamayavi Bhagavan Doc Antle is the founder and director of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S. The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. However, as Antle pointed out, the show itself appears to discount the allegation when Paul Lewis, who accompanied Topping to Crabtree Falls, where he died, said that Toppings chance-taking ways were what led to his death. Wells Fargo Building We also had the opportunity to hold and feed a couple of the tiger cubs and can I just say ADORABLE!! When you pay for a TIGERS tour, proceeds will help support the Rare Species Fund (RSF), which provides support to international conservation programs around the globe. Its a sad, sad tale of a thrill-seeking free-hand rock climber, a powerful, good-looking, strong man, but everybody can slip, Antle said. But everybody does that who meets me. In exchange, Antle and Sawyer received a 15% fee of any amount laundered. According to a press release, Antle, 62, and his employee Andrew Omar Jon Sawyer, 52, laundered $505,000 cash that they believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the border. I could just pet this guy all day. CLUE. Two of Antles daughters have also been charged in Virginia, with Tawny Antle and Tilakum Watterson both facing two misdemeanor counts cruelty to animals and violating the Endangered Species Act. Hes also accused of illegally trafficking animals including lemurs, cheetahs and a chimpanzee. Antle and Sawyer were previously granted a bond by a federal magistrate judge as a result of the charges in the federal complaint, and Bybee, Sammut, and Clay are pending arraignment. The Virginia Animal Law Unit took 119 animals including lions, tigers, bears, camels and water buffalo into custody in August 2019 due to cruelty and neglect. Sawyer and Bybee are Antles employees and business associates. 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