SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A plea deal for a former TV pitchman in Utah accused of kicking a barn owl in flight while riding a motorized paraglider fell through Thursday when he refused to admit to a crime he said makes him look like an evil, horrible person.
Dell “Super Dell” Schanze – known in Utah for his shrill, hyperactive TV commercials for his Totally Awesome Computers retail chain that has since closed – once again turned a court hearing into a spectacle. It started when he arrived about five minutes late and entered court wearing dark sunglasses, a tight-fitting black turtleneck, tennis shoes and a fanny pack.
When U.S. District Judge Dee Benson began reading through the plea deal, Schanze answered “yes sir” to the first few questions but then balked after Benson asked him if it was true that he knowingly harassed the owl in February or March of 2011.
“No sir,” Schanze said.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here, what part isn’t true?” Benson said.