State reduces charges against taxidermist

PALMER -- Eighteen months after Palmer taxidermist Shawn McCrary was arrested and charged with multiple misdemeanor counts of illegally selling big game animal trophies, the state reduced all of McCrary's charges to violations. McCrary and defense attorney Lance Wells said they will continue to fight the charges rather than pay fines to the state.

"They are all violations, he's out of the criminal world now," Wells said, but added that his client is not satisfied, even if the charges have been reduced.

"The whole point is, that he hasn't violated the law," Wells said.

McCrary's arrest came after an officer from the Alaska State Troopers bureau of wildlife investigations posed as a restaurateur and arranged to purchase mounted animals from McCrary. Wells and McCrary have said they have a solid defense for each of the charges -- now at six violations -- but court proceedings in the original case never got past the pre-trial evidentiary hearings.

Alaska law prohibits the sale of prepared big game trophies without a permit. The law does make allowances for taxidermists to sell parts when doing repairs on existing mounts and for permits for estate sales. McCrary and Wells maintain that each of the alleged deals was either in compliance with the law or did not take place at all.

"The position [McCrary] is advocating allows for putting Alaska's big game up for sale in a commercial environment," Assistant District Attorney Bob Collins said.

McCrary will not have the right to a jury trial, according to Collins, who said violations are tried in front of a district court magistrate.

McCrary has also complained to the federal government that bureau of wildlife investigations operation and subsequent prosecution have violated his civil rights. Wells said that Trooper Doug Massie -- the officer who worked undercover -- and the division he worked for during the investigation are under federal scrutiny.

"At this point Trooper Massie is under investigation from the FBI, I have confirmation of that. The division of fish and wildlife enforcement is also under investigation for violating Mr. McCrary's civil rights," Wells said.

Anchorage Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman Eric Gonzalez said that his agency, as a matter of policy, does not confirm or deny active investigations.

"We have spoken with Mr. McCrary on a number of occasions," Gonzalez said. Asked if Wells' status as McCrary's attorney would give him access to more specific information than the general public, Gonzalez said it didn't.