CJ ALEXANDER SENTENCED TO JAIL TIME AND ORDERED TO PAY $42K FOR POACHING INCREDIBLE OHIO BUCK

The guy who went out of his way to illegally kill an absolute monster of an Ohio buck and attempt to cover it up was finally sentenced in court this week. The 12-month investigation came to a close in a Clinton County courtroom on Wednesday that resulted in jail time, fines and restitution for the 28-year-old. 

It was exactly one year ago when CJ Alexander broke the internet with his big buck and as the alleged cash offers rolled in for him, so did outside interest from Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources. In what was later revealed to be a massive cover up, the buck ended up being poached off a piece of private property where Alexander knowingly didn’t have permission to hunt.

In October of this year, he entered his guilty plea after feigning innocence for many months prior. With nothing left to do but await his sentencing hearing, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost broke the silence following Wednesday’s court appearance.

“Hunting in Ohio is a time-honored tradition, and there is a proper way to be safe and successful,” Yost said. “When bad actors like these guys try to cheat the system, it ruins the reputation of Ohio’s respected sportsmen and women – I can’t stand for that.”

Yost followed his heavy-handed statement with an equally harsh sentence for the Wilmington man. 

Specifically, CJ Alexander’s sentence requires him to:

• Serve 180 days in jail, with 90 days suspended and the other 90 days served at the Star Community Justice Center before he can be eligible for work release. (His sentence also includes an up to 36-month suspended prison term that becomes active if community control is revoked.)

• Serve five years of community control.

• Pay $39,696.73 to the Ohio Wildlife Fund and $2,000 in restitution to KSE Sportsman Media, DBA Outdoor Sportsman Group-IM.

• Pay $1,000 in restitution to the poaching hotline, a $1,000 wildlife fine and court costs.

• Enter a four- to six-month community-based program through the Star Community Justice Center.

• Write letters of apology to affected parties.

• Forfeit all hunting-related property seized by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife as evidence.

• Lose his hunting license for a minimum of 10 years; if full restitution is not paid by then, the license remains revoked until full payment is made.

In addition to Alexander’s sentencing, his accomplices, Corey and Zachary Haunert, who are brothers, and his sister, Kristina M. Alexander, all of whom entered plea agreements on Oct. 15 and have also since been sentenced.

According to the release from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, sentenced just ahead of Alexander was Hillsboro resident Corey Haunert, 29,  who had pleaded guilty to six charges. He was sentenced to:

• Three years of community control.

• 90 days in jail (90 days suspended on the condition that he complete 200 hours of community service).

• A three-year revocation of his hunting license.

• Forfeiture of all hunting-related property seized as evidence.

• A $500 wildlife fine, $500 in restitution to the poaching hotline and court costs.

• An up to 18-month suspended prison term that may become active if his community control is revoked.

The cases of the two other defendants had previously been adjudicated.

Kristina Alexander, 37, of Blanchester, pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced to:

• One year of monitored time supervision.

• A suspended jail sentence of 60 days.

• A $500 wildlife fine, $500 in restitution to the poaching hotline and court costs.

Zachary Haunert, 31, of Lebanon, pleaded guilty to one charge and was sentenced to:

• One year of monitored time supervision.

• 60 days in jail (suspended).

• A $250 wildlife fine, $250 in restitution to the poaching hotline and courts costs.