‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic resentenced to 21 years in prison

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal judge has resentenced “Tiger King” Joe Exotic to 21 years in prison. The former zookeeper — whose legal name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage — was convicted in a murder-for-hire case involving his chief rival, Carole Baskin. He was sentenced two years ago to 22 years in prison, but a federal appeals court ruled last year that the proper sentencing guidelines weren’t used. He was resentenced on Friday in Oklahoma City.

Prosecutors say Maldonado-Passage tried to hire two different people — including an undercover FBI agent — to kill Baskin, who’d criticized his treatment of animals.

Baskin attended Friday’s sentencing and said Maldonado-Passage “continues to harbor intense feelings of ill will toward me.”