Brooklyn Man Convicted of Selling Exotic Animal Body Parts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Brooklyn Man Convicted of Selling Exotic Animal Body Parts

Defendant Sold Mounted Cougar Head, Other Items, to Undercover Officer

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced that a Brooklyn man pleaded guilty to violating New York State Environmental Conservation Law by selling a prohibited wild animal part - a cougar head - to an undercover officer. The defendant additionally turned over other prohibited contraband in his possession under the terms of the plea.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, "We're committed to stopping the illegal wildlife trade in our communities, and by prosecuting cases like this, we're not just enforcing the law-we're sending a strong message that protecting endangered species from harm is a priority. I appreciate our strong partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the hard work of our prosecutors in securing this conviction."

Interim Commissioner Mahar said, "Cracking down on the illegal wildlife trade in New York State helps save the lives of animals often targeted by brutal poachers. DEC's Division of Law Enforcement explores every tip, chases down all leads, and fully investigates claims regarding the international illegal wildlife trade and its facilitators in New York State to ensure lawbreakers are held accountable for their crimes and animals are protected. DEC is proud to work with our partners in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office and advance this investigation that led to a successful prosecution."

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Usher Weiss, 26, of Borough Park, Brooklyn. He pleaded guilty today to violating Environmental Conservation Laws before Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Dale Fong-Frederick. Under the terms of the plea agreement, he was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and to surrender the additional contraband in his possession.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on November 2, 2023, at approximately 8:15 p.m., an undercover investigator for the NYS DEC met the defendant at a building on 49^th Street in Borough Park. In the basement of the building the undercover gave the defendant $900 in exchange for a cougar head mount. The defendant then offered the undercover a full cheetah head mount for $10,000.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, on December 5, 2023, at approximately 8:30 p.m., the undercover met the defendant at a building on 53^rd Street in Borough Park. The defendant handed the undercover a cheetah head mount, the skull of a big cat, the skin of a pinniped pup, and a bird mount.

Finally, according to the investigation, Weiss had several other illegal items in his possession in violation of the Environmental Conservation Law, including: a full alligator taxidermy, a tiger skin, a cheetah skin, and an elephant foot. He bought the items on websites, including Craigslist and OfferUp, and surrendered the items to the DEC last month.

The District Attorney thanked the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Division of Law Enforcement, specifically Captain Sara Komonchak, Captain Jesse Paluch, Lieutenant George Wilber and the investigators involved, for bringing about this investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Jessica White, of the District Attorney's Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Pamela J. Murray, Deputy Chief of the Frauds Bureau, Assistant District Attorney Gregory Pavlides, Chief of the Frauds Bureau, Assistant District Attorney Michel Spanakos, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Chief of the Investigations Division.

#

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.