A Troy resident has admitted to tampering with evidence after shooting a grizzly bear on his property in 2020.
Othel Lee Pearson pled guilty to two federal charges of tampering with evidence and failure to report the taking of a grizzly bear. Grizzlies in the lower 48 states are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.
According to court documents, after shooting the bear, Pearson removed its GPS collar, threw it into the Yaak river, cut and hid the animal’s paws, ear tags and identifying lip tattoo and hid meat from the bear in his freezer.
Pearson faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine for tampering with evidence and prison time and fines for failing to report the grizzly take.
