CJ Alexander pleads not guilty to 23 criminal charges as Ohio poaching trial begins

Today marks the start of what could be a lengthy criminal trial for Christopher “CJ” Alexander, who has been accused of poaching the state’s so-called No. 1 white-tailed deer. With a gross score of more than 200 inches, the buck also had a shot at being the third-largest typical whitetail of all time in Boone and Crockett’s book before being seized by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in December.

At a hearing in Clinton County today, Alexander entered a “not guilty” plea to the 23 criminal charges filed against him, including fraud, tampering with evidence, grand larceny and hunting without consent. Alexander was accompanied by his lawyer JR Bernans, who did not respond to a request for comment.

A Big Buck story explored

The saga began on November 9 when Alexander shot a huge buck in Clinton County, and he shared his story with Living outside early December. Alexander said he shot the buck on his sister’s 20-acre property (although he originally claimed the property was 30 acres) with a crossbow borrowed from his friend Cory Haunert. He explained that he and Haunert went back to his sister’s property the next day to retrieve the dollar.

However, within weeks of that OL story appearing, rumors began circulating online that Alexander had killed the buck on another piece of private property in Clinton County, where he was not allowed to hunt. And on December 26, Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials launched a formal poaching investigation. They began by confiscating the buck’s antlers from CJ’s apartment, along with other items they believed had been used in taking the deer.

The state investigation continued for the next four to five months as many wondered what would become of the “Alexander Buck” and debated whether the DNR’s allegations were valid. Alexander maintained his innocence during this time, often publicly commenting on social media posts. He has continued to do so in recent months OL’s Instagram pageand even responded to commenters.

.embed-container { position: relative; filling bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; landing hidden; maximum width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

Alexander also participated in interviews, where he continued to claim that he killed the buck legally on his sister’s property, and that he was wrongly accused by the state. Appears on the The hunter’s advantage podcast in January, he provided a detailed account of the hunt and the DNR’s subsequent investigation, which he said was inadequate. He argued that the state’s case relied heavily on DNA found on two knives discovered at the scene of the alleged poaching.

On the podcast, Alexander also discussed the allegations about poaching the deer from Clinton County Prosecutor Andrew McCoy’s land and where that property is located in relation to Alexander’s sister’s property.

‘Everyone says it is the prosecutor who is responsible for the crime [county prosecuting attorney] is Andrew McCoy. The property of the man they say shot this deer belongs to William McCoy, that’s his brother,” Alexander said. “But everyone says it’s 20, 25 miles and it’s not. It’s literally half. It’s 10:33 am [miles] if you drop a pin on it and take it to my sister [property].”

Indictment by the Grand Jury

Until early May, many hunters had done that come to Alexander’s defense, claiming the DNR has overreached. Public opinion changed, however, when a Clinton County grand jury handed down a serious 22-page criminal indictment against Alexander on May 10. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the indictment, which included 23 criminal charges against Alexander, along with additional charges against Haunert and Alexander’s sister for their roles in the cover-up that investigators say took place after the buck was killed.

“Wildlife officers discovered through warranted searches of cell phone records that Christopher Alexander had illegally hunted the trophy buck on private property about 10 miles from his sister’s land, and later learned that his sister’s written permission given to wildlife officers , was forged – after the deer was killed – to deceive authorities,” the attorney general’s office wrote a press release. “Evidence showed that Christopher Alexander staged the deer storming his sister’s property with the help of Corey P. Haunert and his brother, Zachary R. Haunert, to conceal the poaching.”

Read next: Suspected poacher arrested after famous ‘Hollywood Buck’ appears dead on Facebook

A closer look at the indictment also reveals that Alexander has been charged by the state with poaching not one, but two bucks from a roughly 50-acre tract of private property in Clinton County, where he was not permitted to hunt. The first buck had a gross score of 180 inches, and investigators allege Alexander killed that buck on the property without a permit on Jan. 7, 2023. The state alleges Alexander then returned to the same piece of private property to hunt without a permit. or permission between October 21 and early November, and that he killed the over 200 inch “Alexander Buck” there on November 9.

The state alleges that Alexander then recovered the trophy and took it to his sister’s property on November 10, where he and Haunert tampered with evidence (a third-degree felony) by organizing the taking of the deer and to photograph. Alexander also faces four counts of theft by deception for allegedly selling the rack to an antler buyer for $10,000; sell his version of the story to a deer hunting magazine (not Living outside) for $2,0000; and signing an $8,000 promotional agreement to use his photos and the money to promote the company’s products.

What’s next?

An arraignment is considered the official start of a criminal trial, where the suspect is informed of the charges against him and often asked to enter a plea. According to the Clinton County Clerk of Courts, Alexander and his attorney have entered a “not guilty” plea to all 23 charges. The court clerk says Alexander will have a hearing on July 19, but it is unknown at this time if he will be tried before a jury.

Alexander could face prison time if convicted. A third-degree felony usually carries a prison sentence of nine months to three years the website of an Ohio lawyerplus fines up to $10,000.

Alexander is also involved in a separate civil case filed by the state of Ohio seeking restitution for the $2 he allegedly poached. That case will be heard in Clinton County Municipal Court, with the next court date scheduled for August 5. In a letter sent by the DNR to Alexander on the same day he was charged, the agency estimates the value of the 150-inch dollar at $4,625, and the value of the “Alexander Buck” at $35,071.73.

“The matter is in the hands of the court,” says ODNR spokesperson Karina Cheung Living outside in an emailed statement.