More charges for ‘Tiger King’ star. Antle, others illegally trafficked wildlife, FBI says

Just days after getting released from jail, the owner of Myrtle Beach Safari is back in the crosshairs of federal law enforcement.

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, one of the stars of the Netflix series “Tiger King,” and three of his employees/business associates were indicted Thursday on wildlife trafficking charges, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Antle, Meredith “Moksha” Bybee, Charles Sammut and Jason Clay violated the Lacey Act and Endangered Species Act, creating false records involving the movement of endangered animals including lemurs, cheetahs and a chimpanzee, the indictment states.

The Lacey Act prohibits a person from knowingly selling, receiving or purchasing wildlife through interstate commerce in violation of federal law, while the Endangered Species Act prohibits unpermitted delivery of endangered wildlife for commercial activity.

Bybee works with Antle at Myrtle Beach Safari, while Sammut, of California, and Clay, of Texas, are the owners of two different for-profit corporation that house exotic animals and sell tours, according to the release.

If convicted, they will all be required to forfeit all illegally acquired animals as well as any vehicles used in the illegal transport of those animals, the indictment states.

Antle was just granted $250,000 bond and released Tuesday after a three-week stay in Horry County’s J. Reuben Long Detention Center. He was arrested and charged with federal money laundering.

During Antle’s detention hearing — prosecutors tried to keep him in jail, arguing he was a flight risk — a federal agent revealed that the wildlife trafficking charges were expected to be filed soon on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildife Service.

The laundering charges carry a maximum 20-year prison sentence, while the trafficking charges carry up to a five-year sentence, the release states.

Antle is also facing animal trafficking and cruelty charges in Virginia.