An experienced hunting guide is facing a felony charge for illegally baiting a bear for Donald Trump Jr. to kill during a weekend in Utah with friends in 2018.
Wade Cox Lemon, 61, is accused of using "a pile of grain, oil, and pastries" to lure the bear in Carbon County, about two-and-a-half hours southeast of Salt Lake City, where it was pursued by hunting dogs and then shot to death, KSTU reported.
Lemon is charged with a third-degree felony count of wanton destruction of protected wildlife, which carries a five-year prison sentence.
Trump Jr. is not identified as the hunter in court documents, though the the Utah Department of Natural Resources confirmed to the Salt Lake Tribune that the former-president's son is the "client" listed in the filing.
Prosecutors noted no evidence that Trump Jr. knew about the alleged baiting and even called him a victim of a fraudulent scheme to make it seem like "a legitimate Wild West hunting situation," The Tribune reported.
The charging documents indicate that a "concerned witness" contacted the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources after a hunting party led by Lemon left behind a half-eaten bait pile. Next to the pile, officers found a trail camera with Lemon's initials and phone number on it, according to the filing.
"The end of the hunt is recorded showing the bear surrounded by a pack of hunting dogs before the client shoots and kills the animal," prosecutors wrote in the charging document, according to KSTU. "Utah law forbids luring bears to a bait station and then pursuing the animal with dogs."
The Tribune report indicates that the DNR initially investigated allegations of illegal baiting during Trump Jr.'s 2018 hunt, but closed the case later that year without any action.
When contacted for comment, Lemon told The Tribune he was surprised by the charges.
"As far as I knew everything was above board," he reportedly said before ending the call.
Lemon's initial court appearance is set for June 13, according to KSL News.
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