Man Gets Prison Term for Killing Big Cats
A former corrections officer was sentenced to a maximum four years and three months in prison for slaughtering and stuffing endangered tigers and leopards for collectors.
William Kapp, 37, also was fined $5,000 for his part in a ring that killed the big cats to turn them into stuffed trophies and rugs. The meat was sold to a gourmet market for $3 a pound.
Kapp was convicted in Chicago in April on 17 counts of violating the Endangered Species Act and a related law. Prosecutors say the animals were bought from exotic animal dealers who purchased them from circuses.
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