Christopher J. Alexander, 28, of Wilmington, was sentenced today in Clinton County Common Pleas Court for unlawfully shooting a trophy white-tailed deer buck in November 2023, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Alexander was sentenced to pay the maximum restitution for the 18-point trophy buck, $35,071.73. This was the largest restitution value for a single white-tailed deer in Ohio’s history. Restitution increased to $39,696.73 when $4,625 was added for a second unlawfully taken buck during the 2023 hunting season.

Alexander was also sentenced to complete five years of community control and serve six months at STAR Community Justice Center, a locked down community based correctional facility. He received a 10-year hunting license revocation and forfeited all property seized as evidence, including the trophy deer’s antlers. Finally, he was ordered to pay $1,000 in fines, $1,000 to the Turn In a Poacher (TIP) program, $2,000 in restitution to media outlets, and all court costs.

The Division of Wildlife conducted an investigation into Alexander’s taking of the trophy buck on Nov. 9, 2023, Read more