A hunting influencer who sparked massive backlash for stealing a baby wombat from its mother was arrested for breaking hunting laws in the US.
Samantha Strable, better known as Sam Jones, was booked into jail on November 21 and is facing multiple charges.
“The karma train has just pull [sic] in,” one netizen said.
Samantha Strable, who also goes by Sam Jones, was arrested for breaking hunting laws in the US
Image credits: samstrays_somewhere
The 25-year-old was captured snatching a baby wombat away from its mother and manhandling the little animal in front of the camera.
Now, she’s been accused of falsely declaring she lived in the landlocked state to obtain several local Wyoming resident hunting licenses, as per the recently filed court charges.
Image credits: CollinRugg
As per state law, a person must have lived in Wyoming for a full calendar year before applying for residential hunting licenses.
Moreover, the status will be stripped away if the individual is out of the state for more than six months.
The influencer was accused of falsely declaring she lived in Wyoming to obtain several local resident hunting licenses
Image credits: CollinRugg
Records revealed that she is now facing eight misdemeanor charges, which include six counts of false swearing and one count each of taking wildlife without a license.
Court records also show that she has been charged with nonresident hunting without a guide in a wilderness area.
Each count of false swearing means Sam could face up to a year behind bars and a fine of $10,000.
For taking game without a license, she faces a year in jail and fines between $5,000 and $10,000, whereas for hunting without a guide, she faces up to six months behind bars and a $1,000 fine.
Wyoming Game and Fish Warden Jacob Miller wrote in court documents that they received an anonymous tip on August 11 about Sam’s alleged forged residency.
“Samantha Strable continues to buy resident tags even though she hasn’t resided in Wyoming for over two years, and brags about it on social media to over 90K followers,” he wrote.
Sam went viral earlier this year for harassing a baby wombat in Australia
Image credits: Sublette County Sheriff's Office
Her arrest came months after she was caught harassing a baby wombat in Australia, sparking backlash across the world.
The young animal was visibly distressed in the viral clip, with its mother helplessly following the influencer.
Image credits: Samantha Strable/Facebook
In addition to thousands of Australians condemning her actions, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke also expressed outrage.
Albanese said wombats are “gentle, lovely creatures” in his statement at the time.
“Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the controversy
Image credits: samstrays_somewhere
“I suggest to this so-called influencer, maybe she should try some other Australian animals, maybe she should try a crocodile,” he said.
“Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there,” he added. “Take another animal that can actually fight back rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother.”
Image credits: Liftkeed
Meanwhile, Burke confirmed that officials were reviewing the conditions of Sam’s Australian visa; however, she left on her own and went back to the US.
The influencer claimed in a follow-up video that she was “concerned” about the wombats’ safety
Image credits: samstrays_somewhere
Sam shared a video after the controversy and claimed the mother and the joey were on the road and not “moving.”
“I was extremely concerned,” she said. “As wombats are so often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they got off the road safely and didn't get hit.”
The influencer claimed she was concerned the animals may have been sick or injured. Hence, she made a “snap judgment.”
Image credits: samstrays_somewhere
“I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me,” she said. “The snap judgement I made in these moments was never from a place of harm or stealing a joey … I looked it over quickly and immediately returned it to its mother.”
“I have done a great deal of reflection on this situation and have realized that I did not handle this situation as best as I should have,” she added.
"Cruel woman," one netizen remarked after Sam Jones' mugshot reignited conversation about wildlife protection
