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Joe Exotic has a limousine on standby near prison as he waits for a last-minute presidential pardon

tiger king joe exotic
"Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness" was released on Netflix on March 20. Netflix
  • Joe Exotic has a limo waiting for him outside prison in Texas as he waits for a presidential pardon.

  • The "Tiger King" star's legal team told Metro it was confident that President Donald Donald Trump would issue a late pardon.

  • In response to the possibility of a pardon, Carole Baskin told Insider: "Tigers are the world's favorite animal and Joe Schreibvogel Maldonado Passage is right where he belongs."

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Video: Trump is reportedly considering pardoning as many as 20 associates

Joe Exotic and his legal team have arranged for a limousine to be on standby near his prison in Fort Worth, Texas, in anticipation of a presidential pardon on Tuesday.

The 57-year-old "Tiger King" star, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is serving a 22-year prison sentence after being convicted of plotting to murder his "Tiger King" rival Carole Baskin, as well as several counts of animal abuse. He is said to be confident he will be freed on President Donald Trump's last full day in office.

Eric Love, a private investigator who is leading Maldonado-Passage's case, told Metro on Monday: "This time tomorrow, we're going to be celebrating. We have good reason to believe it will come through. We're confident enough we already have a limousine parked about half a mile from the prison. We are really in action mode right now."

joe exotic
Joe Exotic is serving a 22-year prison sentence but shot to fame after the premiere of "Tiger King" on Netflix last year. Santa Rosa County Jail/Associated Press

Love continued: "I've got makeup, wardrobe, the whole unit that will come up. The first thing Joe wants to do he wants his hair done. He hasn't had his hair done in 2 1/2 years. That's the first order of business. Then we'll probably go and get some pizzas, steak, maybe a McRib."

In response to the possibility of a pardon, Baskin, who assumed control of Maldonado-Passage's old zoo in Oklahoma when he was convicted, told Insider via an email statement: "There is no benefit, other than a feeble attempt to deflect attention, for anyone to pardon someone who walked up to five tigers and shot them in the head in order to clear cage space for the circus, who was going to pay him to board their tigers during the off season."

She added: "Tigers are the world's favorite animal and Joe Schreibvogel Maldonado Passage is right where he belongs."

When asked about why he believed Trump would issue the pardon, Love said he thought the president was hoping to overshadow his successor's inauguration. "I think the president has sided with us, and I believe it will take most of the limelight away from President-elect Joe Biden," he said.

Love added that he had already recorded a thank-you message for the outgoing president.

"As soon as we get the word, we're going to execute that video to the White House and thank them," he said.

Trump is expected to issue 100 or more presidential pardons and commutations in his last week in office. Last week, CNN reported that Dr. Salomon Melgen, an eye doctor from Florida who is in prison after being found guilty of healthcare fraud, was expected to be one of those granted clemency.

Bloomberg reported that the rappers Lil Wayne - who faces prison time for a weapons charge - and Kodak Black - who is serving an almost four-year sentence after pleading guilty to weapons charges - were also being considered for pardons. Trump is also said to have considered issuing preemptive pardons for allies and, possibly, himself.

Read the original article on Insider