"Many Photos" - Ex-exotic zookeeper is found guilty in murder-for-hire plot to kill rival wildlife sanctuary owner

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka 'Joe Exotic,' was found guilty on Tuesday in Oklahoma

A federal jury has convicted a former Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate and zookeeper of an attempted murder-for-hire plot.

Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, 56, received the guilty verdict on Tuesday following six days of testimony in the Oklahoma City trial.

He was accused of trying to arrange the killing of Florida animal sanctuary founder Carole Baskin, who criticized his treatment of animals. Baskin wasn't harmed.

Maldonado-Passage, known as 'Joe Exotic,' was also found guilty in the deaths of five tigers, and selling and offering to sell tiger cubs in violation of the Endangered Species Act.

U.S. District Judge Scott Palk did not set a sentencing date for Maldonado-Passage, who could face more than 20 years in prison.

Animal rights activist Carole Baskin was not harmed by any attempts on her life. Maldonado has been found guilty of trying to hire two hit men to kill her 

Maldonado posing with a tiger. He was found guilty of trying to arrange the murder of Carole Baskin and prosecutors alleged he offered an undercover FBI agent $10,000 to do the hit

Maldonado-Passage testified in his own defense on Monday that although disagreements with Baskin spilled over into his social media posts, he never truly wanted her dead.

Prosecutors say Maldonado-Passage offered $10,000 to an undercover FBI agent to kill Baskin during a December 2017 meeting that was recorded and played for the jury last week. 

In the recording, he told the agent, 'Just like follow her into a mall parking lot and just cap her and drive off.'

In an earlier bid to kill her, prosecutors said Maldonado paid an unnamed hit man $3,000 to travel to Florida to track Baskin down.  

His attorneys say he was not being serious and did not want anyone to actually kill her.  

Maldonado was indicted in September for allegedly trying to hire someone to kill the operator of a Florida-based animal sanctuary

Maldonado ran unsuccessfully for Oklahoma governor last year as a Libertarian candidate. 

He appeared on John Oliver's Last Week Tonight when he was a 2016 write-in candidate for president.

Maldonado, who ran Wynnewood Zoo, made direct threats against Baskin in social media videos, including one in which he shot a blow-up doll.

Their dispute dates back several years during which time Baskin and her husband have reported Maldonado for animal cruelty.

They say that he is guilty of ripping tiger cubs from their mothers and keeping the animals in abysmal conditions.

In 2013, Baskin - who runs Big Cat Rescue non profit, was awarded a $1million judgement after suing him for renaming his business Big Cat Rescue Entertainment. 

It was in retaliation for Baskin reporting Maldonado, and a group of malls across the country, for visiting malls with tiger cubs and setting up makeshift petting zoos. 

Maldonado has denied trying to hire hit men to kill his rival after a long-running dispute

In Facebook videos, he advertised visits to the zoo by offering customers the chance to play with the tigers and 'lie down' with them for $16 a day. 

In one video posted to his business's website, he is filmed shooting a handful of male tigers with tranquilizer darts after they 'ganged up' on a female in their enclosure. Before shooting them with the dart, he fired a pistol to scare them. 

Maldonado tried to run for president in 2016. In campaign videos, he vowed to never cut  his hair or change his clothes if he was elected. 

One saw him proudly proclaiming that he is gay and has had 'some kinky sex' in his life, as well as trying drugs in his youth. 

In 2016, he was thrown out of a fundraiser for President Trump, apparently without explanation.

The following year Maldonado's husband Travis died after accidentally shooting himself in the head. 

According to sheriffs who responded to it at the time, the 23-year-old held the weapon to his temple in front of a group of people but was confident there were no bullets in the chamber.

Maldonado married another 23-year-old, Dillon, two months later.  

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