FREDERICK COUNTY, VA. (WBTW) — No decision has been made after a sentencing hearing was held Thursday for Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, who was convicted of wildlife trafficking in June.
Victoria LaCivita, a spokesperson for the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, said that arguments happened on Thursday, but no decision was made. The judge is expected to make a decision on Oct. 3, with the AG’s Office anticipating a sentencing after that.
Antle was convicted of two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and two felony counts of conspiracy to traffic wildlife. He was accused of illegally purchasing endangered lion cubs in Frederick County, which were put on display for profit at his zoo business in Myrtle Beach.
Antle’s co-defendant, Meredith “Moksha” Bybee, pleaded guilty to wildlife trafficking charges in Florence in July.
For a complete timeline of details in the Antle case, click here.
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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on Twitter and read more of his work here.