NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty on Thursday to illegally possessing exotic animal parts after he was busted selling a cougar head to an undercover New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officer at the end of last year.
Usher Weiss, 26, of Borough Park, pleaded guilty to violating Environmental Conservation Laws. As part of the plea he surrendered the additional wildlife contraband in his possession—including a full alligator taxidermy, a tiger skin, a cheetah skin and an elephant foot, and paid a $5,000 fine, prosecutors and the DEC said.
“Cracking down on the illegal wildlife trade in New York State helps save the lives of animals often targeted by brutal poachers,” DEC Interim Commissioner Sean 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.”
On Nov. 2, 2023, an undercover investigator met Weiss at a building on 49th Street in Borough Park, went to the basement with him and gave him $900 in exchange for a cougar head mount.
Weiss then offered the investigator $10,000 for a full cheetah head mount.
A month later, on Nov. 5, the investigator met Weiss at a building on 53rd Street in the same neighborhood, where the defendant handed over a cheetah head mount, a big cat skull, a pinniped pup skin and a bird mount.
According to the investigation, Weiss obtained items violating the Environmental Conservation Law from websites like Craigslist and OfferUp, and surrendered all other illegal items in his possession 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,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.