Jonathan D. Ross, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, has announced the sentencing of Keidrick Damond Usifo and Deon Johnson for violations related to the Big Cat Public Safety Act. On March 6, 2025, U.S. District Judge James M. Moody Jr. sentenced Usifo to five years' probation and a $5,000 fine, while Johnson received an 18-month probation sentence and a $1,000 fine.
The charges stemmed from a federal grand jury indictment on March 5, 2024. Usifo was charged with violating the Big Cat Public Safety Act, and Johnson faced charges of misprision of a felony due to his concealment of Usifo's crime. Both defendants pled guilty on October 22, 2024.
An investigation uncovered that in mid-March 2023, Usifo purchased and transported a tiger cub from Dallas, Texas. Complaints about sightings of the tiger cub in Conway led to further investigations by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Although no tiger was found during a search at Usifo's residence following his arrest on April 21, evidence suggested its presence there.
Johnson had knowledge of Usifo's acquisition and possession of the tiger and assisted by feeding it during Usifo’s incarceration at Pulaski County Detention Facility but did not disclose this information when questioned by authorities.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted on December 20, 2022, to end private ownership of big cats as pets and restrict public contact with them. The act requires individuals or entities owning big cats before its enactment to register them with USFWS.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including USFWS, AGFC, Conway Police Department, and Little Rock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Walker prosecuted the case with help from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.