Tag: Crime

One of Ohio’s largest criminal schemes involving deer closes

Fourteen people were convicted on 122 counts, including felonies and misdemeanors, in a case seeing search warrants executed in two states.

Fourteen people were charged with and convicted on 122 counts, including felonies and misdemeanors, as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife closed the adjudication phase of one of the state’s largest white-tail deer commercialization cases.

The list of charges included engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities, grand theft, falsification, tampering with records, possession of untagged deer parts, hunting with an illegal implement, and complicity to wildlife sales, according to ODNR.

The case included the illegal taking of deer and selling venison, and focused on A&E Deer Processing in Gallia County.

The defendants combined to pay $70,013.14 in fines and restitution, paid more than $6,700 in court costs and forfeited all the evidence seized during the execution of search warrants.

Collectively, they received a hunting license revocation totaling 63 years.

The maximum restitution to one individual was $20,000 with another paying $13,000. Multiple individuals received extensive hunting license suspensions.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Duck hunter fined $4,000 for violating 1930s regulation

In February 2020, five search warrants were executed in Gallia County by Division of Wildlife law enforcement with an additional search warrant conducted in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Wildlife officers and investigators conducted 22 interviews in Ohio and three in Pennsylvania to verify the alleged violations.

More from ODNR:

During the execution of the search warrants, more than 1,000 items were seized, including venison and venison processing equipment, deer harvest records, deer mounts and antlers, and hunting implements. A stolen rifle, illegally possessed firearm suppressors, and a moonshine still were also discovered during the searches.

The investigation revealed the owners and operators of the deer processing business falsely game checked deer, created false deer harvest records, falsified deer tags, exceeded deer hunting limits, and stole venison from customers who brought in deer for processing. Falsified records allowed the deer processors to take and have in their possession more deer than they were lawfully allowed.

Stolen venison was stockpiled and laundered into summer sausage that was sold for profit. Over the course of two hunting seasons, investigators documented more than 2,000 pounds of venison that were either stolen from their 280 customers or taken by unlawful means such as jacklighting, taking deer out of season, and falsifying records.

Generic photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

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Watch: Unleashed dog harasses endangered Hawaiian monk seal

A 52-year-old man was cited Tuesday by state and federal authorities in after his dog was caught on video harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.

A 52-year-old man was cited Tuesday in Hawaii by state and federal authorities after his dog was caught on video harassing an endangered monk seal.

The incident occurred Oct. 10 at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park on the island of Hawaii.

The accompanying footage, released this week by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, shows the dog menacing the seal, and the seal’s frightened reaction.

The footage also shows the dog’s owner approaching the seal while trying to catch and leash his dog.

The man’s identity was not disclosed out of concern that he’ll become the target of threats and harassment – as has occurred after past incidents involving the culturally revered seals.

ALSO: In San Diego, a dead great white shark and a plea to anglers

The Hawaiian monk seal, endemic to the northwest Hawaiian islands, is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. Only about 1,400 remain and people are required to give them space when they haul ashore to rest.

The Hawaii DNLR stated in a news release that it took weeks to track down the man, a recent transplant from the mainland, after receiving video footage captured by a witness.

State citations include harassment of an endangered or threatened species and permitting a dog to stray in violation of the Hawaii County Code. Federal citations include violation of the Endangered Species Act and failure to restrain a pet, disturbing wildlife activities.

The man is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 26, 2023.

Duck hunter fined $4,000 for violating 1930s regulation

Acting on a tip, wildlife officers caught a hunter in the act of violating an 87-year-old law within the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

A man in Connecticut was caught illegally baiting ducks around a hunting blind by spreading kernels of corn and then shooting them, doing so under the watchful eyes of the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police, which had been tipped off by an anonymous complaint.

David Foster, 51, of Westbrook, and two other hunters shot and retrieved ducks over the area that had been baited by Foster. When confronted, Foster admitted he had spread corn over the hunting area to attract ducks, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Connecticut stated.

Foster violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which bans people from hunting any migratory game bird by baiting, and was fined $4,000 by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley.

In late September and early October 2020, the Environmental Conservation Police and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, acting on a tip, investigated the spreading of whole kernel corn around a hunting blind on Menunketesuck Island in Westbrook.

On Oct. 10, 2020, the opening day of duck hunting season, officers established surveillance near the duck blind and observed Foster and two other hunters shooting and retrieving ducks over the area that had been baited.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Hunter uses two guns to stop attacking grizzly bear

Foster pleaded guilty on Aug. 2, 2022.

The hunter previously violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act near the same river by baiting waterfowl in 2009, prosecutors say, according to the Belleville News-Democrat.

From Ducks Unlimited:

Federal regulations to restrict baiting for waterfowl hunting in the U.S. were initially established in the early 1930s. Concerns about commercial shooting over baited areas and live decoys increased as waterfowl populations declined dramatically during the “dirty thirties.” Initial controls on baiting were through a system of permits with a provision that baited areas would not be shot after 3:00 p.m.

Further clarification and strengthening during 1935 and 1936, however, led to a regulation that stated: “migratory game birds may not be taken … by the aid of baiting, or on or over any baited area … ‘baiting’ shall mean the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of shelled, shucked, or un-shucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt or other feed so as to constitute for such birds a lure, attraction or enticement to, on or over any area where hunters are attempting to take them.”

Photo of the duck blind in question courtesy of U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

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Oregon launches probe after two bears are found dead in trees

Oregon is seeking help from the public in locating the person(s) responsible for shooting a bear and leaving the animal to waste.

Oregon is seeking help from the public in locating the person(s) responsible for shooting a black bear and leaving the animal to waste.

The Oregon State Police Wildlife Division explained via news release that on Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. Troopers responded to a tip about a dead bear in a tree with an arrow in its flesh.

They found that the bear had also been shot two times with a gun. The Jackson County Fire Department assisted in retrieving the carcass.

Jackson County Fire Department was called to retrieve the bear carcass

The incident occurred near Anderson Creek Road, outside of Talent.

ALSO: In San Diego, a dead great white shark and a plea to anglers

On October 31, a second bear was found dead in a tree in the same area. Its body was decomposed but OSP believes the animal’s death was “human-caused.”

Both incidents are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch at 1-800-452-7888, text *OSP (*677), or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Case number is SP22291483.

–Top image is generic, courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Law enforcement looking for freeway poachers of two elk

A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest or citation in the case of a bull and cow elk being poached from I-5.

Two elk—one a bull, the other a cow–were believed to have been shot from a vehicle on a freeway near Glendale, Oregon, and law enforcement has posted a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest or citation.

Numerous drivers on Interstate 5 contacted authorities on the morning of Oct. 26 to report seeing elk carcasses within 100 yards of I-5, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

When troopers arrived at the scene, they discovered the bull was left entirely to waste while poachers processed and removed meat from the cow, which would have taken considerable time by lantern or flashlight. Troopers managed to salvage the meat from the bull and donate it to charity.

“There is no excuse for this disgusting behavior,” said Brian Wolfer, ODFW Wildlife Division Deputy Administrator. “For many people it is a thrill just to see an elk and these people not only poached two elk but wasted one. It is also illegal and dangerous to shoot from a public road, let alone a highway. I hope someone out there can help bring them to justice.”

Law enforcement officials are looking for a person seen earlier in the day on Oct. 25 driving a silver-colored midsized pickup truck slowly in the southbound land and the person of interest had a rifle.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Bear pins man to ground in late-night attack in his backyard

“It is believed the subject(s) used a flashlight in the field between 7:00 p.m. October 25 and 7:00 a.m. October 26,” the Oregon State Police stated.

The elk were part of a herd of about 80, according to Central Oregon Daily News.

“When people poach, they steal natural resources from all of us,” said Yvonne Shaw, Stop Poaching Campaign coordinator for ODFW. “Oregonians value our wildlife, both for viewing and for legal hunting.”

Photos courtesy of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State Police.

Baby rhino rescued via helicopter after poachers kill its mother

A rhinoceros calf that was left to fend for itself after poachers in South Africa killed its mother has been rescued via helicopter and taken to a rhino orphanage.

When poachers kill rhinos for their horns, calves that are left behind are almost certain to perish. But for one newly orphaned calf, there’s hope for recovery and, eventually, a return to the wild.

According to the nonprofit, African Wildlife Vets, a ranger and veterinarian for Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in South Africa spotted the de-horned rhino carcass this week while conducting an aerial search for buffalo.

Wandering nearby was the 6-week-old male rhino calf.

African Wildlife Vets described what happened next on Facebook:

“Dr. Rowan Leeming immobilized the small calf and they placed it on the back seat of the helicopter. The calf was rushed to the Zululand Rhino Orphanage where he was given a drip to rehydrate him and rhino plasma to strengthen his immune system.

“The experienced team at the orphanage will do everything they can to ensure his recovery and then his well being until he is old enough to be released back into the wild.”

Zululand Rhino Orphanage has shared photos and videos via Instagram showing the baby rhino, blindfolded to keep him calm, receiving care from staff.

Rhinos are poached for their keratin-rich horns, which are sold in Asian markets and used largely for medicinal purposes.

Rhinoceros populations have been decimated – about 27,000 wild rhinos exist globally, down from 70,000 in 1970 – and few rhinos survive outside national parks and reserves.

The intentional removal of rhino horns by conservations inside reserves is now a common method designed to keep the animals safe from poachers.

Texas restaurant involved in shark fin possession case identified

A case involving the seizure last April of more than 400 shark fins at a Texas restaurant is still pending, but the restaurant’s name has been revealed.

A case involving the seizure last April of hundreds of shark fins at a Texas seafood restaurant is still pending, but the restaurant’s name has been revealed.

KSAT 12 on Thursday obtained a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department report identifying the establishment as Van’s Restaurant, which for decades has served Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine from its Broadway location in San Antonio.

The report identified Thanh Hein Nguyen, Nga To Van and Van To Van as individuals charged with purchase to transport of shark fins, possession of shark fins for sale, and unlawful sale of aquatic products – Class B misdemeanors.

The case, according to the report, was still pending.

In 2015, Texas became the 10th U.S. state to ban the sale and trade of shark fins as part of a global effort to protect sharks from an unsustainable fishing practice known as shark finning.

The seizure of 381 whole shark fins and 30 pounds of frozen shark fins from a freezer at what was then identified merely as “a local seafood restaurant in San Antonio” occurred April 13.

The fins were reported to be worth about $25,000.

Texas Game Wardens shared the accompanying image showing the “evidence” via Facebook, boasting about the work of Bexar County wardens and a K-9 Team during the compliance inspection.

KSAT 12 on Thursday reached Nguyen by telephone and reported that he has denied all allegations. Efforts to reach the other suspects were unsuccessful.

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Snook poacher nabbed after an attempt to ‘slip away’

A Florida wildlife officer acting on a tip and vehicle description located a poaching suspect who was found in possession of 35 out-of-season and undersized snook.

A Florida wildlife officer acting on a tip and vehicle description located a poaching suspect who was found in possession of 35 out-of-season and undersized snook.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated Monday that the unidentified suspect also was cited for the illegal use of a cast net.

If it were open season on snook, only hook-and-line fishing would be allowed, and the bag limit would be one snook per day.

The FWC stated that the officer who responded to a tip arrived at the unidentified Lee County location to find that “the snook stealer [had] slipped away.”

ALSO: Record size hammerhead shark released out of respect

But after receiving a description of the suspect and vehicle, the officer located the “wet and sandy” suspect and discovered a cast net and 35 snook, plus a mangrove snapper, in the truck’s bed.

Snook fishing in the region, from Sarasota Bay through Gordon Pass in Collier County, is catch-and-release only through Aug. 31.

Warden not buying angler’s odd excuse for illegal bass catch

A Missouri angler has been cited for catching an over-limit of mostly undersized largemouth bass, apparently, for the sake of a social-media photo.

A Missouri angler has been cited for catching an over-limit of mostly undersized largemouth bass, apparently, for the sake of a social-media photo.

The Missouri Department of Conservation stated Monday that the unidentified angler violated fishing regulations “just so he could take a picture of a stringer full of fish.”

St. Francois County MDC Agent Clayton Lewis cited the angler at Hager Lake in Farmington. The daily bag limit is six bass measuring at least 15 inches; the stringer contained eight small bass.

ALSO: Massive sea creature startles family on Mexican beach; video

The MDC stressed that fish placed on a stringer, although they might be kept alive and released later, “are counted towards daily and possession limits of the taker.”

The agency added: “MDC reminds anglers to check statewide and Conservation area regulations prior to fishing and to read area regulation signs. And please don’t boost your social media presence at the expense of our wildlife.”

Elk poachers nabbed after ‘suspicious’ photo appears online

Oregon officials say a “suspicious” image posted to social media, showing a trophy bull elk carcass on a trailer, helped officers nab three poachers.

Oregon officials say a “suspicious” image posted to social media, showing a trophy bull elk carcass on a trailer, helped officers nab three poachers.

Lionardo Munoz, of Mosier, has been ordered to pay $15,000 for illegally harvesting the buck in November 2021. He also received a three-year hunting ban.

Matt Wilkinson, also of Mosier, must pay $1,000 for helping to conceal the crime. He received a five-year hunting ban.

Wilkinson’s wife, Rachel Hallett, was cited for illegally harvesting a buck deer.

Photo that helped launch the investigation. Credit: ODFW

The investigation began last Nov. 9, after a hunter had texted the image of the trophy bull elk to the Oregon State Police, Fish and Wildlife Division.

“Something was just not right about the photo of a 6×6 bull elk on a trailer,” the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stated in a news release.

ALSO: Elk calf braves Yellowstone rapids to reunite with mom; video

Said Senior Trooper Brent Ocheskey: “It was a big elk on that trailer. An elk is a big animal, not easy to pack out without gutting and quartering it. That in itself was suspicious, especially in our patrol area.”

Ocheskey and fellow Trooper Matt Newby obtained the name of Munoz as the hunter said to have shot the elk. When they arrived at the residence, the spotted Munoz and Wilkinson driving in a truck. In the truck’s bed was a 6×6 bull elk head and hide.

Munoz possessed a license for spike elk so it seemed as though his violation was simply harvesting an oversized buck. However, he told the troopers that the elk belonged to Wilkinson, who said the elk was harvested by his wife, Rachel Hallett.

Hallett went along with the lie, but only briefly. On her behalf, Wilkinson told investigators that Munoz had shot the buck in an orchard in Mosier, and that Wilkinson helped Munoz load the carcass onto the trailer.

At sentencing, Munoz and Wilkinson pleaded guilty to Unlawful Take of a Six-Point Bull. Munoz was ordered to pay the bulk of the fine.

Hallett pleaded guilty to Unlawful Take of Buck Deer. She received 12 months probation and must serve 40 hours of community service.

Said Bernadette Graham-Hudson, ODFW Wildlife Administrator: “Oregon hunters, legislators and other conservationists work hard to pass strict sentencing guidelines to address poaching cases like this one.

“Not only did the subjects steal a wildlife resource that belongs to all Oregonians, but they broke hunting safety laws while doing so. Hopefully fines like this will serve as a warning to other who would behave so irresponsibly.”