Australian influencer sentenced to probation in Wyoming for illegal hunting

In a hearing held via video, Samantha Strable was ordered to serve a year of probation and pay an AUD $800 penalty after admitting to hunting without a licensed guide in Wyoming. The court also suspended a 180-day incarceration sentence. Strable, known online as Sam Jones, previously attracted worldwide criticism for a video showing her removing a baby wombat from its mother in Australia, which led to death threats and a petition for her ban.

Wyoming authorities had arrested her following an anonymous tip that she continued to purchase resident hunting tags despite living out of state for more than two years, a claim she contested. The prosecution dropped seven charges, among them illegal animal capture and multiple fraud allegations. Her lawyer, Nate Jeppsen, told the judge that while she did not purposefully violate the law, she should have been aware of the residency requirements.