Nine Louisiana men were tried and found guilty of federal migratory game bird regulation violations on July 15 in Federal Court in Alexandria. The charges stemmed from a September 7, 2002, illegal dove hunt in the southwestern portion of Grant Parish. 

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents were investigating reports of illegal bait being placed in fields prior to the opening of the September 2002 segment of mourning dove season. They found the men hunting the illicit field. Wheat, sunflower seed and cracked corn had been placed in the field. A total of 83 mourning doves were seized in connection with the case. 

A tenth man, Larry W. Lester, Jr., 27, of Montgomery, pled guilty to the charge of hunting migratory game birds with the aid of bait at a February 13 arraignment hearing. He was sentenced to pay a fine of $625, plus $10 to the criminal victim fund. The remaining nine men had entered pleas of "not guilty" to the charges.

United States Federal Magistrate for the Western District of Louisiana, James D. Kirk found the men guilty of all charges and sentenced them as follows: For hunting migratory game birds with the aid of bait, Curtis Joseph Allen, 57, of Montgomery, Travis H. Vallee, 30, of Colfax, Chad Thomisee, 28, of Montgomery, Derrick Bruce Thomisee, 30, of Montgomery, John Scott James, 42, of Boyce, Jeremy P. McCain, 19, of Dry Prong, John Steven McCain, 26, of Colfax, Wilmet Sandlin McCain, 51, of Dry Prong and John T. McCain, 54, of Baton Rouge were each ordered to pay a $500 fine plus $10 to the criminal victim fund. 

Allen and Vallee were also found guilty of possessing over the limit of mourning doves and each was ordered to pay an additional $200 fine, plus $10 to the criminal victim fund. Vallee was also found guilty of aiding and abetting others in the taking of migratory game birds over bait by the placement of bait and sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine, plus $10 to the criminal victim fund. He was placed on unsupervised probation for a period of three years with the condition of probation that he may not hunt during the entire probationary period. In his instructions to Vallee regarding the probation, Magistrate Kirk said "When I say no hunting, I mean nowhere in the world." 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christina Walker. Counsel for the Defense was Mr. Taylor Townsend. Officers participating in the case were Major Keith LaCaze, Captain Peter Oliver, Sergeants Eric Stokes and Marcus Constance and Senior Agents Travis Burnett and Kevin Hill.