Two Virginia poachers (hunters) pleaded guilty last month in the illegal killing of the “Hollywood buck,” a majestic 29-point deer that for years roamed Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery.
Jason Walters of Richmond entered guilty pleas to 20 misdemeanors related to the illegal hunting of three deer, including the Hollywood buck. He was sentenced to six months in jail, with three months suspended, and ordered to pay $2,500 in fines and $11,000 in “replacement costs.” He also lost his hunting privileges for 24 years.
Alan Proffitt, also of Richmond, pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors, all related to the Hollywood buck, which was killed in December. Officials referred to him as an accomplice. Proffitt was ordered to pay $1,250 in fines and serve 30 days of house arrest. His hunting privileges were revoked for six years.
The penalties represent “one of the strongest enforcement outcomes in recent memory” for wildlife crimes, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources said in a written statement announcing the pleas.
Washington Post