Joe Exotic planned to sell tigers to pay murderer, prosecutors say
Big cat breeder Joe Exotic told an undercover FBI agent posing as a hit man that he would “just sell a bunch of tigers” to pay off a $10,000 murder contract, prosecutors have revealed.
The former gubernatorial candidate, whose full name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, is accused in a murderfor-hire case of twice trying to have his chief critic killed. His jury trial is set for Jan. 8 in Oklahoma City federal court.
In a legal filing Friday, prosecutors revealed details of a secret recording of his meeting with the undercover agent in December 2017. Prosecutors described the meeting as a discussion of how and where to murder the victim, Carole Baskin, the operator of a Florida animal sanctuary.
“What’s somethin’ like that run?” the defendant asked, according to the filing.
“Mmm, usually about 10,” the agent responded. “Really?” the defendant asked. “Yep,” the agent said.
The discussion then turned to a down payment, according to the filing.
“Hey man, if you’re serious about it, you let me know,” the agent is quoted as saying.
“We’ll get game with the money,” the defendant said.
“So, I’d need ... What do you think you could get up front?” the agent said.
“Oh, we can get five easy,” the defendant said.
“You can get five?” the agent said.
“Yeah,” the defendant said.
“That’s perfect, man. That’d be perfect,” the agent said.
The agent instructed Maldonado-Passage to get two phones and the first payment together and told him “that’s the last time we’re gonna meet until after,” according to the filing. The agent also told Maldonado-Passage to take his time getting the other half together.
“I’ll just sell a bunch of tigers,” the defendant responded. “Sell a bunch of tigers.”
At the time of the meeting, Maldonado-Passage was still involved in a private petting zoo in Wynnewood. He claims he is being framed by the zoo’s new owner, Jeff Lowe.
The month before the meeting, Maldonado-Passage had paid $3,000 to a zoo worker to kill Baskin, prosecutors allege.
“The reason the defendant delayed using the second hit man is that he
was waiting for the first hit man to perform the act he was hired to do,” prosecutors allege.
Prosecutors believe Maldonado-Passage sold a big cat cub for cash to make the $3,000 payment to the first hit man, according to another legal filing in the case.
Maldonado-Passage, 55, also is accused in the federal case of 19 wildlife violations, including killing tigers.
“In October 2017, defendant killed five healthy adult tigers because they were not breeding, because his exotic animal park was at capacity for large predators and because he anticipated the arrival of other big cats that would be a source of income in boarding fees,” prosecutors allege.
Maldonado-Passage ran for governor as a Libertarian but did not make the runoff.