Five Men Indicted In Louisiana for Conspiracy to Smuggle Birds

Five men have been charged in New Orleans with crimes related to illegally exporting birds protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) from the United States to Taiwan.  William McGinness, 59, of Buena Park, California; Paul Tallman, 55, of Destreham, Louisiana; Rene Rizal, 62, of La Mirada, California; Wayne Andrews, 46, of Royal Oaks, California and Alex Madriaga, 76, of Buena Park, California; were each indicted in federal court in the eastern District of Louisiana today.

On May 31, 2018, a five-count indictment was returned charging McGinness, Tallman, Rizal, Andrews and Madriaga with conspiracy to smuggle CITES-protected birds from the United States to Taiwan. McGuinness was also charged with smuggling birds to Taiwan and three counts of making and submitting false records under the Lacey Act, and Tallman was charged with smuggling and one count of making and submitting false records under the Lacey Act.

The indictment alleges, among other things, that McGinness, a resident of California, and his co-conspirators created false statements and submitted them to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in order to illegally export CITES-protected birds from the Port of New Orleans to Taiwan. The shipment included 90 CITES-protected birds, including parrots, macaws, cockatoos and corellas. Several of the birds were in crates that were falsely labeled. The USFWS seized 14 of the birds at the airport in Houston, Texas before they were exported. Read more

Texas Game Wardens Crack Down on Illegal Houston Fish Trade

AUSTIN — State game wardens issued more than 150 citations to 19 fish markets and restaurants in the Houston area that illegally purchased game fish from undercover officers during a recently completed sting conducted by the Special Operations unit of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Law Enforcement Division.

During the two-year operation, wardens in plain clothes offered to sell more than a dozen different Texas saltwater species including spotted sea trout, red drum (redfish), red snapper, southern flounder, black drum, catfish and croaker to seafood markets and restaurants along the upper Texas coast.

Of concern is the heightening demand for these aquatic resources, particularly highly-regulated red snapper, which led to this enhanced law enforcement intervention. Commercial harvest of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico is strictly managed and monitored to ensure the long-term health of the fishery. Catches are tracked against an annual poundage quota limit, and red snapper sold into the market outside the legal system pose threats to the resource, as well as the commercial fishing industry that depends on it.

Evidence that some businesses are willing to work outside the law to obtain product, nearly half of the 40-plus businesses approached during the operation agreed to illegally purchase game fish. A similar undercover operation conducted by Texas game wardens between 2010-12 resulted in illegal purchases by only nine of 42 businesses targeted.

“Our objective with this operation was to identify and through law enforcement intervention disrupt the influx of illegal fish trade,” said Maj. Chris Davis, who heads TPWD’s law enforcement special operations. “About half of those we approached said no, so that was encouraging. But, many businesses were eager to buy aquatic products illegally, and wanted to place orders for more.”

Davis said wardens received tips from various sources identifying businesses known to purchase fish under the table, and began approaching those businesses using aquatic product seized from other cases. The risks extend well beyond conservation of the resource. Read more

Charges Filed in Illinois Shooting of White Pelicans

NEWTON, IL – Thanks to information provided by the public, charges have been filed against two Newton, Illinois teenagers in connection with the illegal shooting of white pelicans at Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, discovered on April 3.

Charges were filed with the Jasper County States Attorney on April 14 following an investigation conducted by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Conservation Police and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Because juveniles are involved in the case, the names of the subjects are not being released at this time.

The two male subjects are charged with Unlawful Take of Migratory Waterfowl with a Rifle; Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm from a Public Roadway; Unlawful Firing of a Rifle over/into Waters of the State; and Unlawfully Disturbing/Harassing Wild Birds by the Use or Aid of a Motor Vehicle.

Five pelicans were found dead at Newton Lake on April 3 by IDNR site staff.  Another pelican found shot and wounded was taken to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine for treatment.

Boone and Crockett Club Releases Findings From Research on Poaching

Thursday, April 05, 2018

The Boone and Crockett Club today released the results of a two-year research study on the illegal take of wildlife. The research findings were recently shared with conservation and law enforcement attendees at the 83rd North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference held in Norfolk, Virginia, hosted by the Wildlife Management Institute.

“The business of conservation comes with a few things we’d just as soon not have to deal with, but we must, and poaching is one of them,” said Ben B. Hollingsworth Jr., president of the Boone and Crockett Club. “This is one of those issues that is best addressed at the state level, but before effective improvements can be made, we needed a view from the national level.” Read more

Michigan: Vandals Compromise Dickinson County Bat Research Project

Conservation officers are investigating a break-in and theft of security cameras and signs from a mine site on private property near the city of Norway where an important bat research project has been under way.

The old abandoned iron mine – a small, dead-end horizontal shaft where the ceiling partially collapsed in recent months – was once the annual winter hibernating home to more than 20,000 little brown, northern long-eared and big brown bats.

“Today, the number of bats hibernating in this mine has fallen to just a few thousand survivors with the advent of white-nose syndrome,” said Bill Scullon, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division field operations supervisor from the Norway office. “White-nose syndrome is a devastating disease that has killed millions of bats in eastern North America and has significantly impacted Michigan’s bat population.

“These bats eat lots of insects in the summertime and are of great benefit to the environment, forest health and agriculture.”

The mine is gated with a metal structure to keep the public out but protect the bats. The site is also posted against trespass. Those who entered the site illegally disrupted hibernating bats. Read more

California Man Sentenced to Prison for Sale of Black Rhinoceros Horns

Edward N. Levine, 67, a resident of Novato, California, has been sentenced today to 27 months in prison and followed by three years of supervised release for the sale of two black rhinoceros horns in Las Vegas. Levine will also be prohibited from wildlife and antique sales as a result of the sentencing.

A jury convicted Levine on September 14, 2017, of conspiracy to violate the Lacey and Endangered Species Acts and a substantive violation of the Lacey Act for knowingly selling the horns to an undercover agent from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). His co-defendant, Lumsden Quan, had previously pleaded guilty to the indictment and was sentenced in December 2015 to 367 days of imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Read more

Michigan: DNR seeks information on Mecosta County bald eagle death

Anyone with a tip should call or text the Report All Poaching line

Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers are asking for citizen assistance with an investigation into the death of a bald eagle in Mecosta County.

Thursday, March 1, conservation officers were called to the vicinity of 20 Mile Road near Grant Center in Grant Township, where the mature bald eagle was discovered. The bird was lodged in the limbs of a large tree near the road. Read more

Ohio: Seven Indicted in Jefferson County Poaching Case

 COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) today announced the indictment of seven individuals who allegedly participated in a poaching enterprise that is suspected of illegally killing white-tailed deer and wild turkey. These crimes are alleged to have been committed from the years of 2006-2017.

This multi-year investigation that concluded with these seven indictments was a collaboration between the ODNR Division of Wildlife, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (Environmental Enforcement Section), the Ohio Attorney General’s Office (Environmental Enforcement Section), West Virginia Natural Resources Police, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

This investigation spanned across Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. One individual, Jason Cue, has pleaded guilty in West Virginia to charges related to the investigation. Read more

Arizona man found guilty of deer poaching in Iowa

Nicholas Slater of Glendale, Ariz. was found guilty following a trial on Feb. 12, 2018 for charges related to poaching a whitetail deer. The poaching incident occurred at Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs on Nov. 19, 2016.

Slater was found guilty on seven charges, including hunting on a game refuge, not having a valid nonresident hunting license and habitat fee, not having a valid deer tag (either antlerless or antlered/anysex), and illegal taking, transporting and possession of deer.

The total fines for Slater are $7,061.95, which includes court-imposed civil damages for the reimbursement of the deer. In addition, Slater will have his hunting privileges suspended for three years in Iowa and the Interstate Wildlife Violator’s Compact as a result of the conviction.

The Iowa DNR was assisted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department with the investigation.

MI DNR deer poaching investigation results in sentencing of Allegan County man

An Allegan County man has pleaded guilty to deer poaching as the result of an investigation by Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers.

Colton Anderson, 22, of Plainwell was sentenced Jan. 18 in Allegan County 57th District Court to 60 days in jail, $30,250 in reimbursement to the state and the loss of hunting privileges for seven years.

The investigation began when Conservation Officer Richard Cardenas received information about an illegally killed deer in Barry County. Officer Cardenas went to Anderson’s residence and observed multiple sets of deer antlers hanging in the garage. The antlers had 2015 deer licenses attached to them.

After obtaining a search warrant, Cardenas and fellow Conservation Officer Justin Ulberg searched Anderson’s garage and seized an 11-point, 5-point, 7-point and five 8-point sets of antlers. The licenses attached to the antlers belonged to people who were not living at the residence. Read more

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