Ex-Museum Director May Be Charged

Prosecutors are expected to decide this week whether to file felony criminal charges against the former director of a now-closed Fillmore museum.

Karl Anderson was arrested Saturday by an officer with the state Department of Fish and Game.

“The allegations are forgery and perjury in connection with a prohibited species permit,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Laurel McLaughlin.

Anderson, who was director of the Fillmore Museum of Natural History, could not be reached for comment.

It’s the second time Anderson has run into trouble with local authorities for alleged permit irregularities regarding exotic animal species.

He pleaded no contest last year to five misdemeanor charges that he failed to obtain proper permits to house three protected animals at the Fillmore museum. The counts were also similar to criminal charges to which Anderson had pleaded guilty three years earlier in Oregon.

The museum went out of business last month, leaving Fillmore with a debt of $80,000. The City Council was scheduled to hold a closed session Tuesday night to discuss possible litigation surrounding the museum’s closure.