‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic given extended deadline to challenge murder-for-hire and wildlife violation convictions

JOE Exotic granted an extension in his wrongful imprisonment federal lawsuit this week.

The former Oklahoma zookeeper —  whose life has become the subject of the hit Netflix show Tiger King — was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot and federal wildlife violations.

The controversial showman, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, filed a federal lawsuit last month against the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of the Interior plus the assistant attorney who prosecuted him and several witnesses. 

He’s seeking nearly $94 million in damages, claiming that he was convicted based on false and perjured testimony.

A federal judge decided to recommend dismissing his lawsuit and provided an April 28 deadline for objection filing.

On Thursday, US District Judge Scott Palk extended that deadline to May 28 after Maldonado-Passage provided a handwritten letter requesting at least 30 days to respond, The Oklahoman reported Friday.

In the letter, Maldonado-Passage writes that he’s being isolated at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, with “no access to a computer, phone, email or library.”

A jury last April convicted Maldonado-Passage for trying to arrange the killing of Carole Baskin, a Florida animal sanctuary founder who criticized his treatment of animals. She wasn’t harmed.

The former zookeeper, who maintains his innocence, was also sentenced for killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records.

Exotic was framed by Jeff Lowe to get control of his zoo, one of the participants in the hit Netflix series Tiger King has claimed.

Joshua Dial, the man who stepped in to help Exotic run his failed presidential campaign, made the claims on The Domenick Nati Show on Thursday.

Do you have a story for The US Sun team?

Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212 416 4552.