Kroschel Films Wildlife Center owner Steve Kroschel appeared by phone in Haines for his first court hearing Wednesday.
Kroschel faces multiple felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges from what the state says were preventable deaths of animals in 2023 and 2024, and another charge centering on the condition of a brown bear seized by Alaska Wildlife Troopers on June 26.
During the hearing, magistrate Paul Korchin determined that Kroschel qualified for a public defender after he told the court he was not currently working, has had no income since the U.S. Department of Agriculture revoked his license to operate and closed his wildlife park in August of 2024, and has no assets or savings he could draw on to afford a lawyer on his own.
There was some dispute over the conditions of Kroschel’s bail.
State prosecutor Matthew Kaste requested that the bail hearing be continued and Kroschel be required to attend in person citing Kroschel’s interviews with media outlets in which he is quoted saying he could not afford to return to the U.S., had no current plans to return, and was instead considering applying for asylum.
“The court would have no way to enforce any conditions of release that are set if he’s not present in the state. There’s no way to monitor him and make sure he’s compliant with any court orders,” Kaste said.
However public defender Nico Ambrose argued that Kroschel has no criminal history, and questioned whether there were reasonable grounds justifying the felony charges.
“Mr. Kroschel called into this hearing despite not being served which I think is a pretty good predictor of his ability to keep up with court proceedings and stay on top of contact with counsel,” Ambrose said.
It was an argument that Korchin ultimately favored, saying Kroschel had made a proactive effort to appear in court. He also imposed a $5,000 unsecured appearance bond – meaning payment would only be required if he didn’t appear in court.
He also imposed a condition that Kroschel not care for or control any animals in Alaska while the legal proceedings continue.
Meanwhile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game wildlife division director Ryan Scott sent a letter to Kroschel dated Oct. 7, seeking assistance in retrieving animals the state left behind at Kroschel’s facility during its June raid.
“It is time to finalize the plans to secure the remaining animals,” Scott wrote. “The department has identified placements for all of them and we need to move forward soon to avoid seasonal and logistical challenges.”
There are a number of animals currently at Kroschel’s Chilkat Valley facility that were left behind during the state’s raid. Kroschel and his staff estimated about 20 animals had been left behind, while state records show 14, including five ermine, three arctic fox, three martens, two minks and a snowy owl still at the facility.
Scott wrote that there is much conjecture among state staff as to whether Kroschel – who maintains that he is currently in Yekaterinburg, Russia and has no current plans to return – can assist the state in retrieving the animals.
“If you are not returning to Haines, I encourage you to permit the department to enter discussions with the staff on site to secure the remaining animals,” Scott wrote. “I sincerely hope you will voluntarily allow the department to remove the remaining animals. If not, the department will pursue available legal options to accomplish the work.”
Kroschel shared an emailed response to the department saying that his assistant, Patrick McMullin, would assist the state in retrieving the animals.
Kroschel’s next scheduled hearing is Oct. 28 at 10 a.m.