NYC man pleads responsible to promoting cougar head, different unique animal elements to undercover investigator

A New York Metropolis man has pleaded responsible to making an attempt to promote prohibited wild animal elements, together with a cougar head. 

Usher Weiss, 26, met with an undercover investigator for the New York State Division of Environmental Conservation on Nov. 2, 2023, based on a information launch from the division. The 2 met at a basement in Brooklyn, the place Weiss gave the undercover investigator a cougar head mount for $900. Weiss additionally supplied a “full cheetah head mount” for $10,000, the information launch mentioned. 

Weiss and the investigator met a second time in December, the place he handed the undercover investigator the cheetah head mount and a number of different animal stays, together with the cranium of an enormous cat, the pores and skin of a seal pup and a chicken mount. 

Weiss additionally had a full taxidermied alligator, a tiger pores and skin, a cheetah pores and skin and an elephant foot, the information launch mentioned. 

Weiss was charged with violating environmental conservation legal guidelines. He pleaded responsible on Thursday. 

As a part of his plea, Weiss should pay a $5,000 wonderful. He additionally needed to give up all extra contraband in his possession. Weiss surrendered the taxidermied alligator, animal skins and elephant foot to the Division of Environmental Conservation in April. He additionally surrendered different contraband, however the division didn’t share particulars of what it was.  

“We’re dedicated to stopping the unlawful wildlife commerce in our communities, and by prosecuting instances like this, we’re not simply implementing the regulation — we’re sending a powerful message that defending endangered species from hurt is a precedence,” District Legal professional Eric Gonzalez mentioned within the information launch.