Jonathan D. Ross U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas
Jonathan D. Ross, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced that two individuals were sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to charges related to the Big Cat Public Safety Act. Keidrick Damond Usifo and Deon Johnson received their sentences on March 6, 2025, from United States District Judge James M. Moody Jr.
Usifo, a 30-year-old resident of Conway, Arkansas, was sentenced to five years of probation and fined $5,000. Johnson, aged 29 from Little Rock, Arkansas, 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 faced one count of violating the Big Cat Public Safety Act while Johnson was charged with misprision of a felony for concealing Usifo's crime. Both pled guilty on October 22, 2024.
The investigation revealed that in mid-March 2023, Usifo purchased and transported a tiger cub from Dallas, Texas. By April of that year, sightings and reports about the tiger cub emerged in Conway neighborhoods leading to notifications to authorities by April 7. An anonymous tip also mentioned a tiger cub being offered for sale in Conway.
Further investigations indicated ongoing complaints about the presence of a tiger at Usifo’s residence by April 19. On April 21st during a traffic stop arrest on a felony state warrant led authorities to search his home where evidence suggested the presence of a tiger though none was found at that time.
During his incarceration at Pulaski County Detention Facility (PCDF), calls made by Usifo implicated Johnson who knew about Usifo’s plans to acquire the tiger and had taken care of it during Usifo's detention but concealed this information when questioned by agents.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act aims to end private ownership or breeding of big cats like tigers as pets while restricting public contact with them through exhibitors since its enactment on December 20th; it requires registration with USFWS for any privately owned big cats existing before this date.
The case involved investigative efforts by USFWS supported by AGFC along with local police departments from Conway and Little Rock; prosecution efforts were led by Assistant U.S Attorney Edward Walker aided by DOJ’s Environment & Natural Resources Division.
