Joe Exotic charged with selling, killing tigers
An exotic big cat breeder already charged with trying to have a critic killed is now facing accusations he killed five tigers and sold tiger cubs illegally.
Federal grand jurors Wednesday indicted the former Oklahoma zookeeper known as Joe Exotic on 19 new wildlife offenses.
The defendant, whose full name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, is accused of shooting and killing five tigers in October 2017 to make room in cages for other big cats. He also sold or offered to sell tiger cubs illegally, grand jurors allege.
The killings and sales violated the Endangered Species Act, according to the indictment.
The breeder also is accused of falsifying records of wildlife transactions in interstate commerce. He stated on delivery forms and veterinary inspection certificates that tigers, lions and a lemur were being donated or transported for exhibition only when he knew they were being sold, grand jurors allege.
Maldonado-Passage, who founded a private zoo in Wynnewood, was first indicted in September on two murderfor-hire counts. He is accused of twice trying to have a Florida woman killed with whom he had been feuding over the proper care for big cats.
Maldonado-Passage, 55, admits to making threats on social media against the woman but claims he was framed by the zoo's new owner.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison on both murderfor-hire counts. He faces up to one year in prison on each count related to violating the Endangered Species Act and five years on each count of falsifying wildlife records.
He ran for governor this year as a Libertarian candidate. He finished third in the June 26 primary election, receiving only 664 votes statewide.
Last month, a judge ordered MaldonadoPassage stay locked up until trial.