Bill Gilstrap had stored the bear — which is encased in a 500-pound display worth an estimated $50,000 — in his brother’s hangar at Jones Riverside Airport. When the brothers died, the bear eventually made its way to Adair’s hangar, unbeknownst to Gilstrap’s family, Gomez said.

Nancy Barber recently learned of the bear’s new home and made several phone calls to Adair, who refused to return the display unless she paid him $7,500 in storage fees, according to Gomez.

Gomez said he became aware of the dispute in the spring and discovered that Adair lacked the proper paperwork to own the bear, prompting its seizure last week.

The criminal filing alleges that Adair “unlawfully, willfully and wrongfully” possessed the bear without specific written permission from the director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The filing also accuses Adair of not making any effort to find the bear’s owner and having proof of lawful exemption to possess an endangered or threatened species.

An arrest warrant for Adair was filed Thursday. Bail will be set at $7,000 upon his arrest.

Kyle Hinchey 918-581-8451 kyle.hinchey@tulsaworld.com

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