‘Doc’ Antle, Myrtle Beach ‘Tiger King’ star, granted bond to be released from SC jail
A Netflix star’s three-week stay in a South Carolina jail is coming to an end with the help of his TikTok influencer son.
A federal judge granted Bhagavan “Doc” Antle bond Monday while he awaits trial on federal money laundering charges.
The $250,000 secured bond must be formally executed tomorrow, meaning he will have to wait until Tuesday to be released from J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Shoemake.
Antle, owner of Myrtle Beach Safari and one of the stars of the Netflix series “Tiger King,” has been in jail since June 3, when he was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Prosecutors argued to keep Antle detained because he is a flight risk with connections overseas, access to a private plane and large amounts of cash at his disposal, but defense attorneys successfully made the case that Antle has significant ties to the area and no prior criminal convictions on his record.
Ryan Beasley, one of Antle’s attorneys, wrote in a statement to The Sun News that his client is looking forward to reuniting with his animals and ensuring their proper care.
“... (M)ost importantly, he looks forward to reuniting with his children and grandchildren,” he wrote. “Finally, Doc looks forward to his day in Court where he will be able to fully challenge the Government’s allegations.”
Kody Antle, Bhagavan’s son and a star in his own right with more than 28 million TikTok followers, will be responsible for ensuring his dad makes future court appearances and complies with his bond conditions, according to Shoemake.
Those conditions include location monitoring — he will be confined to his 50-acre preserve in the Socastee area — and not violating any state or federal laws.
Money laundering and animal trafficking charges
Antle and one of his employees are facing up to 20 years in federal prison on money laundering charges that stem from a sting operation involving a confidential informant, who told them the money they were helping to launder came from an illegal immigrant smuggling operation.
Antle and his co-defendant, Andrew Jon “Omar” Sawyer, took $505,000 from the informant and gave him checks in return for fake business reasons while keeping about 15%, or $73,500, as a fee, according to the complaint.
Sawyer was released June 17 on $100,000 unsecured bond, according to online court and detention records.
Antle is also facing animal cruelty and trafficking charges in Virginia. Prosecutors in the federal case had said they expected him to be extradited to Virginia for violating his bond conditions if he was released, but a judge there instead gave him a $100,000 surety bond and ordered him to hand over his passport, according to WBTW.
Antle is also expected to soon face federal wildlife trafficking charges from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to prosecutors. A spokesman for the agency told The Sun News they can’t comment about an ongoing investigation.
