Three people faced a Seminole County judge Friday morning for feeding bears, part of a crackdown by Florida Fish and Wildlife officers on what they called an ongoing problem following two serious bear attacks in the county.
Eugene Cifers, the first of the three to face the judge for arraignment, quickly pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge, and said he plans to fight it in court.
Cifers lives in the Carisbrooke subdivision, in Lake Mary, the same neighborhood where a woman was attacked by a bear in April.
Wildlife officers euthanized seven bears near the neighborhood after that attack, and said Cifers has been intentionally feeding bears.
The other two defendants, Corey Zeak and Lori Clem, both pleaded no contest to the charge, meaning they acknowledged the evidence was stacked against them, but did not admit guilt.
When we talked to the couple outside of court, they said they never intended to feed bears.
"It's not like we left out the trash on purpose," said Clem. "I opened the front door, I put out the trash, and the next thing I know, I'm dealing with kids, and the bears take it."
With their plea of no contest, Clem and her roommate, Zeak, will not face jail time, but now they both must serve six months of supervised probation, and pay Fish and Wildlife a $200 fine each. The judge also ordered both to never feed bears again.
Officials said a fourth person accused of feeding wildlife was set to face a judge as they continue to fight the ongoing problem.
This is a developing story. Check back and refresh this article for the latest updates.