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Man mauled by tiger, cheated by owner

COLORADO SPRINGS, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- The owner of a Colorado wildlife sanctuary faces up to six years in prison for cheating a volunteer who was mauled by a tiger.

Nick Sculac, owner of the Serenity Springs Wildlife Center near Calhan, is to be sentenced Tuesday on one count of theft he admitted in July, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported Monday.

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Sculac bilked the man out of $40,500 by falsely claiming -- according to court documents -- he faced fines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and that amount was "his share."

On April 24, 2009, volunteer Michael McCain entered an area off-limits to volunteers and strayed too close to a pen. A 400-pound Bengal tiger reached through, grabbed his arm and bit him.

A month later, Sculac falsely told McCain the U.S. Department of Agriculture had fined him $40,500. McCain wired Sculac the money. When he called the USDA, he was told there was an investigation but no fine yet.

Sculac also faces a citation from the Colorado Division of Wildlife for illegally keeping bear and tiger cubs off the Serenity Springs property.

Sculac was charged with theft in 1984, 1991, 1993, 2001 and 2002, and has repeatedly battled with creditors.

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