Published 15:20 IST, January 24th 2020
Wildlife park owner from Louis Theroux Documentary jailed for 22 years
A wildlife park owner from Louis Theroux documentary has been imprisoned for 22 years after allegedly hiring a hit-man in an attempt to kill the activist.
A former wildlife park owner who starred in a Louis Theroux documentary has been imprisoned for 22 years after allegedly hiring a hit-man in an attempt to kill an animal rights activist. Joseph Maldonado-Passage otherwise known as Joe Exotic featured on America's Most Dangerous Pets in 2011, where he portrayed Louis around his cages that were filled with animals including lions and tigers. A renowned animal rights activist in US, Carole Baskin had numerous death threats posted on social media sites by Maldonado-Passage.
Man hires hitman to kill activist
Baskin is the owner of Big Cat Rescue, an animal sanctuary situated in Tampa, Florida. The institution functions to rescue the abandoned animals which includes lions, tigers, bobcats, and cougars. She criticised Maldonado-Passage filing a lawsuit against him and his business in 2011. According to the indictment, back in November 2017 he bribed an undercover FBI agent that he'd pay them $3,000 for Baskin to be killed and promising thousands more after she died. 56-year-old Maldonado-Passage was convicted of on two counts of murder-for-hire, eight counts of violating the Lacey Act for falsifying wildlife records, and nine counts of violating the Endangered Species Act.
Maldonado-Passage charged with several counts
Previously in 2018, Maldonado-Passage was charged with falsifying forms in an interstate sale of tiger cubs as well as personally shooting and killing five tigers in 2017. He was also charged with the violation of the Endangered Species Act. A statement was released on Baskin's website and YouTube channel in which she said that she had spent the last ten years in fear. She also asked the court to consider what would happen to her family if the obsessed man is ever released from jail. Baskin said that the evidence showed that in the past years he tried to coerce others into killing her. She warned the court that if he completes his sentence and is released, they will end up spending the rest of their lives in threat.
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Updated 15:20 IST, January 24th 2020