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2d ago

Influencer Who Snatched Wombat Sentenced in Wyoming Hunting Case

The plea dropped seven related counts and focused attention on contested residency claims and disagreement over whether her plea was guilty or no contest.

Woman sat in helicopter smiling with headphones on
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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Strable's actions in the viral video led to her receiving death threats and calls for her deportation from Australia, Image 2 shows Strable, who goes by Sam Jones online, went viral last year after a video of her snatching a hysterical baby wombat from its mother off the side of a road in Australia sparked outrage, Image 3 shows Strable, 26, was sentenced to 12 months of probation and a small fine in Sublette County Circuit Court — about 80 miles outside of Jackson Hole — on Thursday after pleading no contest to hunting without a guide
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Overview

  • Samantha Strable was given a 180-day jail term that was suspended, ordered to serve 12 months of probation, and fined AU$800 after accepting a plea to hunting without a guide.
  • The plea, which prosecutors say resolved the case, led to seven dropped charges that had included taking an animal without a licence, hunting during a closed season, and fraud or false-swearing related to residency statements.
  • The sentencing took place Thursday in Sublette County Circuit Court and ended a legal process that began after Strable’s November 2025 arrest triggered by an anonymous tip to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
  • Reporting differs on the plea’s formal wording with some outlets saying she pleaded guilty and others reporting a no-contest plea, while Strable has disputed court allegations that she falsely claimed Wyoming residency.
  • Strable’s March 2025 viral video of her removing a baby wombat from its mother prompted mass public outrage in Australia, a government visa review and lasting reputational fallout even though Australian authorities did not charge her.