A New York City man has pleaded guilty to attempting to sell prohibited wild animal parts, including a cougar head.
Usher Weiss, 26, met with an undercover investigator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on Nov. 2, 2023, according to a news release from the department. The two met at a basement in Brooklyn, where Weiss gave the undercover investigator a cougar head mount for $900. Weiss also offered a "full cheetah head mount" for $10,000, the news release said.
Weiss and the investigator met a second time in December, where he handed the undercover investigator the cheetah head mount and multiple other animal remains, including the skull of a big cat, the skin of a seal pup and a bird mount.
Weiss also had a full taxidermied alligator, a tiger skin, a cheetah skin and an elephant foot, the news release said.
Weiss was charged with violating environmental conservation laws. He pleaded guilty on Thursday.
Following his plea, Weiss has been ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. Additionally, he was required to hand over all other illegal items in his possession. In April, Weiss surrendered a taxidermied alligator, animal skins, and an elephant foot to the Department of Environmental Conservation. Other undisclosed contraband was also surrendered, as per the department's statement.
"We are dedicated to putting a stop to the unlawful wildlife trade within our communities. By prosecuting cases like this, we are not only upholding the law but also sending a clear message that safeguarding endangered species is a top priority," stated District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in a press release.
