Haines man accused of animal cruelty who fled to Russia turns self in to Juneau law enforcement

Steve Kroschel has animals seized from his wildlife center in 2025

Steve Kroschel points to the signs on the front gate to his wildlife center on Aug. 6, 2024, in Mosquito Lake. (Rashah McChesney/Chilkat Valley News)

By Will Steinfeld

Chilkat Valley News

Haines resident Steve Kroschel returned to the country and turned himself into law enforcement in Juneau Tuesday. He had spent roughly a year in Russia while facing animal cruelty charges in Alaska.

Kroschel was first charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty last September, including three Class C felonies, each carrying a penalty of up to $50,000 and five years in prison. The charges came after state troopers and Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff seized animals from his property, the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center in Mosquito Lake, last June. 

Kroschel, however, left for Russia after the animals were seized and did not return for mandatory pre-trial hearings. In December, after he failed to appear in court, Juneau District Court judge Amy Mead issued a warrant for his arrest. 

Kroschel said at the time he was unsure whether he would return to the United States to stand trial. After later deciding to return, he faced “diplomatic hurdles on the Russian side to get his passport and return to the United States,” his attorney, Benjamin Dresner, said Tuesday.

This week, eight months after the warrant was issued, Kroschel flew from Russia to Juneau, via Istanbul and Seattle. Upon arriving in Juneau, Kroschel contacted law enforcement and turned himself in. He is currently being held in Lemon Creek Correctional Center. 

He was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Juneau District Court. Judge Amanda Browning set his bail at $2,500, to which Kroschel responded that he “has nothing” and would not be able to post bail on his own. 

Dresner said later that they would appeal the bail and conditions of release. 

In January Kroschel rejected representation from his assigned public defender and said he intended to represent himself in court. He has since retained Dresner. Dresner said he will be representing Kroschel as the case moves forward, and that Kroschel intends to fight the charges. 

• This story originally appeared in the Chilkat Valley News.