Mullet-loving zookeeper Joe Exotic’s wild murder-for-hire plot
- Ex-zookeeper tried to hire hitman to kill animal sanctuary founder who criticised his treatment of animals
- Known for his blonde mullet, he has been sentenced to 22 years in prison
A former Oklahoma zookeeper and one-time candidate for governor was sentenced Wednesday to 22 years in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot and violating federal wildlife laws.
A federal judge in Oklahoma City sentenced 56-year-old Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage – who is also known as “Joe Exotic” – for trying to arrange the killing of a Florida animal sanctuary founder who criticised his treatment of animals. The woman, Carole Baskin, wasn’t harmed.
Maldonado -Passage, who maintained his innocence, also was sentenced for killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records. A jury convicted him last April.
“I still maintain my innocence and looking forward in the upcoming days to my attorneys filing my appeal and moving onto the next step in this nightmare,” he said in a statement posted to his Facebook page.
Maldonado-Passage’s lawyers had argued for lenience, noting he had no previous criminal convictions and that because of his poor health, a sentence within the advisory guidelines would amount to a life sentence. Prosecutors were satisfied with the sentence.
“We are thankful for the court’s thoughtful consideration of the gravity of this murder-for-hire scheme, as well as the defendant’s egregious wildlife crimes in imposing a 22-year sentence,” US Attorney Tim Downing said in a statement.