Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar on Thursday said a Brooklyn man pleaded guilty to charges for trying to sell a cougar head and other prohibited animal parts to an undercover officer.
Usher Weiss, 26, of Borough Park pled guilty to violating New York State Environmental Conservation Law, according to a news release. 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.
According to the investigation, on November 2, 2023, at approximately 8:15pm, an undercover investigator for the NYS DEC met the defendant at a building on 49th 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, on December 5, 2023, at approximately 8:30pm, the undercover officer met the defendant at a building on 53rd 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 (seal) 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.
"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," said Gonzalez.
Interim Commissioner Mahar said 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 the state to ensure lawbreakers are held accountable for their crimes and animals are protected.
