(MT US Attorney) Othel Lee Pearson, 80, of Troy has been charged with evidence tampering related to a shooting and killing of a grizzly bear on his property in 2020, then discarding the bear’s GPS collar in the Yaak River, according to US Attorney Jesse Laslovich.
Pearson is being charged with felony tampering with evidence, and misdemeanor failure to report taking of a grizzly. If convicted, Pearson faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release on the tampering charges, with an additional maximum 6 months in prison and $25,000 fine if convicted of the failure to report charge.
No court date has been set at this time, and the court was informed a plea agreement has been made.
The charging documents are only accusations, and Pearson is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
