An influencer known for her controversial video of snatching a distressed baby wombat from its mother on an Australian road has recently faced legal consequences in Wyoming.
Samantha Strable, who is 26, received a 12-month probation sentence from the Sublette County Circuit Court—located about 80 miles from Jackson Hole—on Thursday after she entered a no contest plea for hunting without a guide, according to reports.
Appearing via video link, Strable, also known as Sam Jones online, was given a suspended 180-day jail sentence alongside an $800 AUD (approximately $575.40) fine.
The prosecution chose to drop seven other charges against her, which included illegally taking an animal and various counts of fraud.
During the sentencing, her lawyer argued that Strable didn’t intentionally break Wyoming’s hunting laws, though he admitted she should have been aware of her obligations regarding them.
Strable’s troubles began when the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office acted on a tip about her questionable claims of residency. Reports indicated she continued purchasing resident hunting tags even though she hadn’t lived in Wyoming for over two years, and she often shared this on social media to her large following.
She faced allegations of falsely asserting her Wyoming residency to obtain licenses for hunting various game, including black bears and elk. Under state law, if someone lives outside of Wyoming for 180 days, they lose their resident status.
Documentation submitted to the court suggested that she had only spent about a week in the state in 2024 and a month in 2025, yet continued to apply for hunting licenses.
Strable has strongly rejected these claims, asserting that her time spent in Wyoming was much longer than reported.
Additionally, a review of the hunting license database revealed she had been acquiring resident licenses since 2022. These recent charges aren’t her first encounter with controversy.
Before this incident, Strable stirred outrage after sharing a now-deleted video of herself running with a baby wombat, causing public outcry as its mother chased her.
This viral clip led to severe backlash, including death threats and condemnation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who labeled her actions as an “outrage.” A petition demanding her ban from Australia quickly gained nearly 50,000 signatures before being closed.
Strable issued a peculiar apology amid the backlash, alleging hypocrisy in the public response and suggesting that the backlash endangered her life.
She stated, “Am I a villain? Things… are not as they seem. Over holding a wombat, thousands threaten my life.” Albanese retorted with a pointed challenge, encouraging her to attempt similar actions with more dangerous Australian animals.
Eventually, Strable expressed regret for any distress her actions caused but maintained that her intentions were focused on animal safety.
With Post wires
