Ocala courthouse: Final two people sentenced in bear torture case
The last two co-defendants accused of torturing black bears have resolved their criminal cases, thus bringing the four-year saga to an end.
Dustin Reddish and Troy Travis Starling, accompanied by lawyers Stephen Bernstein and B. Larry Smith, respectively, took turns standing in front of Circuit Judge Anthony Tatti on Tuesday.
Starling, 49, and Reddish, 29, who are from Lake Butler, were both charged with conspiracy to commit RICO Act violation. Reddish faced additional charges: three counts of felony cruelty to animals; felony littering; unlawful use of two-way communications device to facilitate; unlawful taking of black bear; and using animal to fight or bait another animal.
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State v. Troy Travis Starling
After listening to the negotiated arrangement made by Statewide Prosecutor Robert Miller and the defense attorneys, Tatti adjudicated both men guilty.
Starling, wearing a dress shirt and pants, was sentenced first. He was ordered to serve five years of probation. He may not hunt, possess any hunting dogs or enter the Ocala National Forest during his probation.
He was ordered to pay $22,847 to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for the cost of the investigation. The others who were arrested and charged by FFWC officers also must pay this cost.
Starling was also ordered to pay $4,688.43 to the statewide prosecutor's office.
State v. Dustin Reddish
Reddish was next. He too was wearing a dress shirt and pants. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail followed by five years of probation.
Bernstein asked the judge if his client could serve his jail sentence in Union County, instead of the Marion County Jail. He gave the judge a letter from Union County that states officials there would pick up Reddish from the local jail and transport him to their facility.
Tatti told the lawyer while he doesn't object to the request, the exchange would have to be approved by Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.
Continuing with Reddish's sentencing, Tatti told Reddish he has to pay $22,847 to FFWC and $4,688.43 to the SWPO.
Similar to Starling, Reddish cannot hunt, have any hunting dogs or enter the ONF.
Reddish was handcuffed and fingerprinted by a bailiff at the conclusion of his hearing.
Nine arrests in total
Before Tuesday, five men and two women already had resolved their cases through plea bargains: William "Willie Bob" Edward Landrum, 43, from Virginia; Hannah Weiner Scarbrough, 30, and her husband, Charles, 33, both of Callahan, Florida; Haley Reddish, 29, of Lake Butler; Christopher Elliot Haun, 45, of Ormond Beach; William Tyler Wood, 32, of Lake Butler; and Mark Christopher Lindsey, 29, from Moultrie, Georgia.
Lindsey and Wood were given jail time for their roles in the incidents.
Black bears hunted
FFWCC officers, who were in charge of the investigation, said the men and women used trained dogs to savagely attack black bears living in several wildlife areas. One attack took place in the ONF.
State officials said tasty and sugary treats were used to lure the bears, who were then chased by trained dogs. The dogs were monitored with GPS devices, authorities said.
The scared bears would quickly climb trees and stay there, waiting for the dogs to leave. The dogs remained underneath the trees for the bears, state officials said.
Feeling they had nowhere to go, the frightened bears would jump from tree to tree. Some of the bears fell to the ground.
Those that fell were hunted and viciously attacked by the dogs. State officials said at least one bear was shot and later skinned.
The attacks were recorded and the videos then posted on social media sites, officials said.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Plea deal for two people charged with inhumane treatment of bears
