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Defendant facing federal misdemeanor count in November Elk Kill in Haywood The massive elk pictured above was shot and killed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Haywood County this November. The person who shot the elk is facing criminal charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina announces the filing of a criminal charge in U.S. District Court in Asheville against Bruce Wayne Cromer Jr., 35, of Stovall, N.C., charging that he shot a bull elk on Nov. 13, 2009, in Haywood County, within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.The announcement is made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Ryan for the Western District of North Carolina. According to the criminal information, Cromer is charged with unlawfully shooting and killing a bull elk within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Haywood County on Nov. 13, 2009. If convicted, Cromer shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both, and be adjudged to pay all the costs of the proceedings. Cromer also faces forfeiture of his firearm, a Browning .270 caliber rifle, and his vehicle, a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, if convicted. This prosecution is the result of a coordinated law enforcement effort between the National Park Service, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the Granville County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being handled for the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Thorneloe of the Asheville Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Note: A criminal information is merely an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Cromer is scheduled to make his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Asheville on March 22, 2010. |
