Joseph Maldonado-Passage, more widely recognized as the exotic zookeeper Joe Exotic from Tiger King, was recently resentenced to 21 years after his plea deal for leniency got ignored by a federal judge. Exotic originally was sentenced in January 2020 for his role in an attempted assassination plot against animal rights activist and rival Carole Baskin. The two’s exploits and feud were prominently showcased in the Netflix true-crime special.
This plea arose due to Exotic’s ongoing battle with prostate cancer. The former zookeeper’s original plea asked for a reduced sentence, but all the federal judge would give him is a singular year subtracted from his original 22-year sentence.
Exotic’s attorney claimed that Exotic is not receiving adequate medical care in federal prison and that a pre-existing autoimmune disease makes him more likely to contract the coronavirus. On these instances of alleged medical negligence and ongoing poor health conditions, Exotic’s attorney built her case.
“Please don’t make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free,” Exotic told the federal judge, according to Deadline.
Baskin and her husband were at these proceedings where she testified that she has still been receiving threats on her life since Exotic’s imprisonment. With this, she went on to detail how she still fears what Exotic may do to her if he ever were to get out.
“He continues to harbor intense feelings of ill will toward me,” Baskin said to the judge.
Baskin further noted that the mere existence of the documentary and its subsequent immense fan following has led her to be even more afraid for her life. In fact, Deadline reported that fans of Exotic filled the courtroom dressed in supportive apparel such as “free Joe Exotic” T-shirts.
Exotic’s attorney says they will attempt to appeal the resentencing and petition for a new trial.