The Howard man who killed and discarded a mother bear and her two cubs and then removed their heads and sawed off their paws received a sentence of two years probation and more than $19,000 in fines this week in Fremont County District Court.
53-year-old Paul Stromberg pleaded guilty to one county of willful destruction of wildlife, a felony, and one count of failure to properly dress wildlife, a misdemeanor.
Deputy District Attorney Taylor Smith said contrary to what the public may believe, a probation sentence is not a “slap on the wrist.” She said, “Probation is difficult, it is time-inducing and expensive.”
If Stromberg is not successful with probation, he faces a felony conviction and a prison sentence of up to three years.
Conditions of probation include no further violations of the law, relinquishment of all firearms and weapons, 150 hours of public service, a $1,000 donation to Operation Game Thief, $750 in restitution and $19,300 in fines.
