STURGIS, S.D. – A Sturgis man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to five counts of illegally trapping big game.
Bruce Bennett, 70, originally faced 16 poaching-related counts, including unlawful possession of big game and failing to tag said game before transport. He pleaded guilty to five counts of illegal trapping in a Lawrence County Court in October, with the state dismissing the other 11 charges
Fourth Circuit Judge Chad Callahan sentenced Bennett this week to a suspended 30 days in jail and $1,000 fine for each of the five counts.
Bennett also has to forfeit all his guns and is banned from receiving a hunting license for the rest of his life.
Court documents indicate that Bennett was baiting mountain lions between 2015 and his arrest in December 2021.
