Brilliant Judge Orders Poacher to Serve Jail; During Hunting season

[SK33T3R]

Have a look at 58(1) of the F&WC Act. I'm sure there are charges that might have been relevant as well. I remember that Ontario CAs were involved in the investigation.

BUT he won 2 Artic Cat ATV's and a boatload of prizes. Who says crime doesn't pay!
I remember the incident but can't recall what the repercussions amounted to.

[Woodsman]

Bigbear yes that's a valid point but I doubt you'd ever see it enforced after a guilt verdict in the other jurisdiction.

[skull]

BUT he won 2 Artic Cat ATV's and a boatload of prizes. Who says crime doesn't pay!
I remember the incident but can't recall what the repercussions amounted to.

Is this what are you looking for SK33T3R


Hunters Plead Guilty in High-Profile Illinois Deer Poaching Case
SPRINGFIELD, IL � Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Conservation Police today announced that three individuals arrested in 2011 following an extensive investigation in an Illinois deer poaching case have entered guilty pleas. The last of the cases concluded recently when a Minooka, Illinois man pleaded guilty to charges related to illegally taking three antlered deer, including a 36-point non-typical buck valued at $35,000.

�Conservation Police officers take seriously incidents of poaching and violations of the Wildlife Code and related offenses in the state, and these convictions made clear that we will bring violators to justice,� said IDNR Conservation Police Chief Rafael Gutierrez. �Our officers are in the field every day protecting our natural resources and protecting the rights of those who legally enjoy hunting, fishing and other outdoor pursuits.�

46-year-old Christopher G. Kiernan of Minooka pleaded guilty on April 5 in Grundy County Circuit Court to charges including unlawful take of the 36-point deer, unlawful take of a 16-point deer, unlawful take of an 11-point deer, unlawful possession of an 11-point deer, and three counts of hunting without permission. Kiernan was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the IDNR, pay fines totaling $840, and the court ordered that he cannot hunt for 24 months. Deer and hunting equipment were seized and forfeited to the IDNR. An additional suspension of hunting privileges through the IDNR is pending in Kiernan�s case now that the criminal case has concluded. Kiernan had previously pleaded guilty in Sangamon County Circuit Court to unlawfully falsifying hunter harvest records and was fined $1,200.

Two other hunters involved in the case entered guilty pleas to a variety of offenses previously.

50-year-old Larry S. Smith of Chesterfield, Ontario pleaded guilty in Sangamon County to falsifying hunter harvest records and was fined $800; pleaded guilty in Grundy County to hunting without permission and illegal possession of a 16-point deer, and was ordered

to pay $2,000 in restitution to IDNR and fined $300. Smith�s deer and equipment were seized and the court ordered that he cannot hunt in Illinois for 24 months. IDNR further suspended Smith�s hunting privileges for 25 months.

32-year-old Garrett L. Armstrong of Avon, New York pleaded guilty in Sangamon County to charges of falsifying hunter harvest records and was fined $800; pleaded guilty in Grundy County to two counts of illegal taking of deer for violations involving a 10-point and an 11-point deer, as well as three counts of hunting without permission. He was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to IDNR, fined $625, and forfeited the deer and equipment to IDNR. Armstrong also cannot hunt in Illinois for 24 months by court order, and IDNR imposed a 58-month suspension of his hunting privileges.

Additional charges were filed against an Illinois taxidermist as a result of the investigation in the case. 39-year-old Chad M. Johnson of Abingdon pleaded guilty in January in Knox County Circuit Court to three counts of failure to maintain complete taxidermy records, and failure to report harvest of a 10-point deer. Johnson was fined $1,000 and forfeited the 10-point buck to the IDNR. The IDNR Office of Law Enforcement has completed its review and determined that Johnson�s violations did not qualify for a suspension of his taxidermy license.

IDNR Conservation Police investigated the poaching incidents with the assistance of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Alberta Sustainable Resources Department, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

[COLOR=#16171A]Unfortunately, there are some who fall victim to rack envy and cross that ethical and legal boundary by poaching a trophy buck. Recently, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Conservation Police arrested three men for poaching deer. One of the deer they are suspected of poaching was a potential Illinois state record non-typical whitetail that scored 261 5/8.

This particular buck carried 36-points that shot off its extra-thick rack in every possible direction. According to the DNR, the deer had illegally been harvested in Grundy County, but a thorough investigation of this particular case uncovered more startling facts. Over a 10-year period, the three men (Christopher Kiernana, Garret Armstrong and Larry Smith) had unlawfully harvested a total of 24 deer across the state of Illinois and Canada, according to the DNR.

A joint-effort by the IDNR, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Alberta Sustainable Resources Department, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks led to the arrest of all three individuals on numerous wildlife related charges.

The men that were involved in this 10-year poaching ring were residents of Illinois, New York and Canada. They received a variety of Wildlife Code violations ranging from unlawful possession of illegally taken deer, falsifying harvest records, hunting without the permission of the landowner and numerous other major charges. The case is still under investigation, so the DNR is not releasing more specific details.

]According to Rafael Gutierrez, the IDNR Conservation Police Chief, poaching is a serious matter in Illinois and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. "The IDNR Office of Law Enforcement has zero tolerance when it comes to poaching matters. Our Conservation Police will continue to protect our natural resources so that legal sportsmen get every opportunity they deserve," he says.

[SK33T3R]

Yes that's the article. I tally up the fines. Subtract that from the prizes awarded and I was right. Crime does pay.