A man has been sentenced to spend 3 months in a federal prison after fatally shooting a Northern Elephant Seal. 30 year-old Utah resident Jordan Gerbich, who used to live in Santa Maria, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of illegally taking a marine mammal. Gerbich was also sentenced to a year of supervised release, 3 months in home detention, and was ordered to perform 120 hours of community service as well as being ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
Northern Elephant Seals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
