The owner of a Copper Center lodge and Anchorage gun shop faces thousands of dollars in fines and 80 hours of community work service after pleading guilty to four misdemeanor hunting and guiding violations.
Alaska State Troopers said Jim West, 60, was sentenced Wednesday in Glennallen. West originally faced 17 violations in connection to big game hunts conducted in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in 2009 and on native-owned land in 2011 and 2012. The majority of those charges were dismissed as part of an agreement, troopers said, and West ultimately pled guilty to helping a client illegally take moose in 2009, illegally taking game while guiding clients in 2011 and failing to remove bear bait stations in 2011 and 2012.
According to AST, West was sentenced to pay a $40,000 fine with $32,000 suspended, a two-year guiding license suspension with that time suspended by the court, 20 days in jail with 20 days suspended, 80 hours of community work service and three years of probation. A Cessna 185 seized during the investigation was returned to West, troopers said.
West owns both Klutina Lodge in Copper Center and Wild West Guns in Anchorage.