Idaho Man Sentenced to Probation and Ordered to Pay $6,100 for Illegally Collecting Antlers in Wyoming

An Idaho man was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $6,100 in restitution for attempted unlawful transportation and sale of illegally possessed wildlife.

Jonathan Lee Cox, 31, pleaded guilty to the charge on Dec. 15, 2023.

U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Mar. 11.

According to court documents, in April 2023, federal and state law enforcement officers in Teton County began an investigation of illegal shed antler collecting on the Bridger-Teton National Forest and the National Elk Refuge.

On May 7, investigators found Cox on the National Elk Refuge with shed elk antlers. Cox admitted to illegal shed antler collecting.

This crime was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.