Influencer who sparked outrage for snatching baby wombat from its mother in Australia sentenced in separate Wyoming case
The influencer whose viral video of her snatching a hysterical baby wombat from its mother off the side of a road in Australia sparked outrage last year has been sentenced in a separate hunting case in Wyoming.Samantha Strable, 26, was sentenced to 12 months of probation in Sublette County Circuit Court — about 80 miles outside of Jackson Hole — on Thursday after pleading no contest to hunting without a guide, the Herald Sun reported.Strable, who goes by Sam Jones online and appeared for the hearing via video, also received a 180-day jail sentence, which the court suspended, and was ordered to pay a $800 AUD ($575.40) fine.Prosecutors additionally dropped seven charges against her, including taking an animal without a license or during a closed season and multiple counts of fraud or false swearing.The influencer’s lawyer, Nate Jeppsen, told the court before sentencing that his client wasn’t “intentionally trying to violate Wyoming game laws” but “should have been aware” of her responsibility to comply with the state’s hunting laws, the outlet reported.Strable was arrested by the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office on Nov.21 after the Wyoming Game and Fish Department received an anonymous tip that she “continues to buy resident tags even though she hasn’t resided in Wyoming for over two years — and brags about it on social media to over 90,000 followers,” News.com.au reported.Strable was accused of falsely claiming Wyoming residency to obtain hunting permits for black bears, elk, mountain lions, antelope and fishing.Under Wyoming hunting law, residents lose their status if they live out of state for 180 days.An affidavit filed with the court alleged that Strable spent only a week in Wyoming in 2024 and a month in 2025, yet continued to apply for hunting licenses.Strable strongly disputed officials claims, as she said, “That’s not the case.
I was here for way more than that,” according to an affidavit seen by The Herald Sun.A search of ...