'Joe Exotic' To Remain In US Marshals' Custody Until Trial

Former animal park operator indicted in a murder-for-hire plot will remain in U.S. Marshals' custody until his trial, according to court documents.

Joseph "Joe Exotic" Maldonado-Passage was remanded to custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on Thursday during a pretrial hearing. 

Maldonado-Passage, 55, is accused of trying to hire two people to kill a woman in Florida. 

Since his arrest, Maldonado-Passage has maintained his innocence and has gone so far as to claim he has been framed. 

The woman who was allegedly targeted in the murder-for-hire plot said "Joe Exotic" threatened her life more than a dozen times including in a series of disturbing videos. 

The trial will take place in the Western District Court of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.

Maldonado-Passage dabbled in politics when he made a run for president in 2016 and Oklahoma governor as a Libertarian in 2018. He managed to receive the least amount of votes in Libertarian primary for governor on June 26.