Oklahoma zookeeper sentenced in murder-for-hire plot

(AP) A former Oklahoma zookeeper and one-time candidate for governor has been sentenced to 22 years in prison. A federal judge in Oklahoma City sentenced 56-year-old Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage on Wednesday for his role in a murder-for-hire plot and violating federal wildlife laws. Better known as “Joe Exotic,“ Maldonado-Passage was convicted last year of trying to arrange the killing of a Florida animal sanctuary founder who criticized his treatment of animals. The woman wasn’t harmed. He also was found guilty of killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records. Maldonado-Passage maintains he is innocent and says he will appeal.