A limo, parked outside the office of Joe Exotic’s legal team, is ready to pick up the former zoo operator from prison, as he holds out hope for a last-minute presidential pardon.
The limo is currently stationed about 800 metres from the prison in Fort Worth, Texas.
Joe Exotic’s lawyer Eric Love told BBC News he’s “confident” that Exotic will be pardoned, adding that the first thing he wants to do if he’s released “is get his hair done”.
“We are 100% sure that today is our day,” Mr Love said.
“The first thing he wants to do is get his hair done... He wants his appearance to be on-point and once that’s on-point I’m sure we’ll be grabbing some fast-food," he added.
Mr Love said once Exotic “decompresses” they’ll be releasing him “to the media and to the world.”
The ‘Tiger King’ star was charged with killing five tigers, selling cubs and attempting to hire a hitman to kill his long-time rival, Carol Baskin.
He is currently two-and-a-half years into a 22-year sentence.
Exotic is an ardent supporter of President Trump and ran for President himself as an independent in 2016.
Donald Trump Jr joked last year that he would ask his father to pardon Exotic. When asked by a reporter, President Trump said: “I know nothing about it. He has 22 years for what?”
Exotic’s official Twitter account posted a last-minute plea for the Netflix star to be pardoned early on Wednesday morning.
“As I sit here and pray waiting that I am on that list, I ask my group of Angels to please help God guide this to happen,” the post read.
The speculation over Exotic being pardoned comes as CNN reports President Trump will pardon up to 100 people in the final hours of his administration.
Rapper Lil Wayne, who is facing a prison sentence of up to 10 years, is among those expected to be pardoned, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Lil Wayne pleaded guilty last month to possessing a loaded, gold-plated handgun when his chartered jet landed in Miami in December 2019.
The rapper tweeted a photo of himself with President Trump in October, expressing support for his criminal reform plan.
After this article was published, Lil Wayne was pardoned by President Trump but Joe Exotic was not.
