Joseph Maldonado-Passage’s legal team, better known as “Joe Exotic” in the Netflix documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness”, claims to believe that Maldonado-Passage will receive the pardon of President Donald Trump.
Maldonado-Passage, who is being held at the Federal Medical Center Fort Worth, was convicted last year of trying to arrange the murder of a Florida animal sanctuary founder, Carole Baskin, who criticized his treatment of animals.
Baskin was not hurt. Maldonado-Passage was also convicted of killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records.
Baskin founded Big Cat Rescue, a popular animal sanctuary based in Tampa, Florida, dedicated to abused and abandoned animals such as lions, tigers, lynx and cougars.
Maldonado-Passage’s lawyers, 57, said he maintains his innocence and filed for forgiveness on September 8 with the United States Department of Justice. In it, they say he was “run over and betrayed” by others.
The application also includes several statements of character, letters of support and various documents of judgment. A Justice Department spokeswoman said it would be premature to comment on the request.
There was a limousine on standby on Tuesday, set to pick up Maldonado-Passage from federal prison, according to Eric Love, a member of the legal team.
Love told NBC 5 that Maldonado-Passage would do the hair and makeup before making any public comments. The legal team has stylists on standby.