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L.D.W.F AGENTS MAKE NIGHT HUNTING AND DRUG ARRESTS IN
CONCORDIA PARISH
GILLNETTERS ARRESTED IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH
DEVILLE MAN CITED FOR HUNTING MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS DURING
ILLEGAL HOURS
L.D.W.F. AGENT CITES ILLEGAL RABBIT HUNTERS
SWIMMING DEER NETS FATHER AND SON CITATIONS
LINCOLN PARISH MAN SENTENCED IN DEER CASE
THREE MEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED DEER VIOLATIONS
PIERRE PART MEN NETTED FOR SHAD GILLNET VIOLATIONS
ILLEGAL NIGHT HUNTER SENTENCED TO JAIL
L.D.W.F AGENTS MAKE NIGHT HUNTING AND DRUG ARRESTS IN
CONCORDIA PARISH
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents
arrested Jesse William Stanley, 18, of Stilwell, Okla., and William Casey
Martin, 23, of Ferriday, on Dec. 28, for alleged night hunting and drug
violations.
After arriving at the location of a complaint, agents made contact with
Stanley and Martin. During their investigation, agents found a .22 caliber
rifle which had been thrown into a ditch. The men later admitted to
shooting a deer. Agents also discovered suspected marijuana.
Stanley and Martin were booked into jail at the Concordia Parish Sheriff's
Office for hunting deer during illegal hours, hunting from a moving vehicle,
hunting from a public road and illegal possession of marijuana.
One headlight, a .22 caliber rifle and one suspected marijuana cigarette
were seized as evidence.
Hunting deer during illegal hours carries a fine up to $950, or jail not
more than 120 days, or both plus court costs and forfeiture of anything
seized. Hunting deer from a public road carries a fine up to $350, or jail
not more than 60 days, or both plus court costs. Hunting from a moving
vehicle carries a fine up to $500, or jail not more than 90 days, or both
plus court costs. The penalty for first offense possession of marijuana is
a fine up to $500, jail for not more than six months, or both plus court
costs.
Agents participating in the case were Agent Chris Hoag and Agent Joseph
Merrill.
GILLNETTERS ARRESTED IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents
arrested two Plaquemines Parish men for alleged saltwater gill net
violations and flight from a police officer on Jan. 5 in lower Plaquemines
Parish.
Agents responded to a complaint in the area of Scofield Bay and immediately
saw two men working a gill net. When the agents tried to approach, both men
discarded the net and immediately fled the area by boat. A short chase
ensued and the two men were apprehended near the Venice Marina with the
assistance of the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office. Agents also
retrieved the net from the water.
Webley Bourgeois, 35, and Billy Johnson Jr., 22, both of Boothville, were
arrested and transported to the Plaquemines Parish detention center for
using a saltwater gill net illegally, taking commercial fish during a closed
season and flight from a police officer.
A total of 356 pounds of black drum, and 40 pounds of sheepshead were still
in the boat when the two men were apprehended. All fish were seized and
later sold. The gill net and boat were both seized by the agents and are
being held as evidence.
The penalty for using a saltwater gillnet illegally is a fine up to $950 and
jail time up to 120 days or both, and forfeiture of anything seized. Taking
commercial fish during a closed season carries a fine up to $350, or jail
time up to 60 days, or both and court costs on each violation. Flight from
an officer is punishable by a fine up to $500 and imprisonment up to six
months, or both if convicted.
Agents participating in the case were Senior Agents Adam Young and Villere
Reggio.
DEVILLE MAN CITED FOR HUNTING MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS DURING ILLEGAL HOURS
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents
cited Kris Vallery Deville, 36, of Deville on Dec. 26 for alleged migratory
game bird and license violations.
Agents observed Deville hunting ducks after legal shooting hours. Upon
making contact with him, agents also found him to be in possession of a
fraudulent hunting license.
One pintail and seven blackbirds were seized as evidence and later donated
to charity. The illegally possessed hunting license was also seized for
evidence.
Obtaining a license fraudulently carries a fine up to $500, jail for not
more than 90 days, or both plus court costs. Hunting migratory game birds
during illegal hours is punishable by fines up to $15,000, up to six months
in jail, community service, and a probationary period up to five years,
including loss of hunting privileges worldwide.
Agents participating in the case were Agent Chris Hoag and Agent Charlie
Ferrington.
L.D.W.F. AGENT CITES ILLEGAL
RABBIT HUNTERS
A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division
agent
cited John P.D. Gordy, 36, and Dustin R. Wilson, 29, both of Hineston, along
with Jeffrey L. Dooley, 30, of Simpson, on Dec. 11, 2006, for allegedly
hunting rabbits illegally in Rapides Parish.
Senior Agent Spencer Cole stopped the men after watching them shine a
cutover along Pine Coupee Road with a spotlight. After he found a .17
caliber rifle in their possession, one of the men admitted they were hunting
rabbits. Cole then cited them for hunting wild game quadrupeds during
illegal hours, hunting from a moving vehicle and hunting from a public road.
The rifle and spotlight were seized.
Hunting wild game quadrupeds during illegal hours and hunting from a moving
vehicle each carry fines of $250 to $500, or jail for not more than 90 days,
or both plus court costs. Hunting from a public road is punishable by a
fine of $100 to $350, or jail for not more than 60 days, or both plus court
costs.
SWIMMING DEER NETS FATHER AND SON CITATIONS
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division
agents
cited Thomas E. Custis Jr., 63, and Troy E. Custis, 37, both of Campti, on
Nov. 21, 2006, in Natchitoches Parish for allegedly killing a deer
illegally.
LDWF Sgt. David McAlpin cited both men for hunting deer illegally from a
boat after they each gave a voluntary written statement. Both men admitted
that they were riding in a boat on Black Lake when they saw the large buck
swimming across a channel. They motored up to the deer, roped it, and then
shot it with a pistol. The deer was seized and later donated to charity.
The penalty for hunting deer illegally from a boat, while the deer is in the
water, is a fine between $100 and $350, or jail for not more than 60 days,
or both plus court costs. Restitution in the amount of $524.54 is also owed
to LDWF for the illegally taken deer.
Senior Agents Carla Rachal and Billy Shoemaker assisted in the case.
LINCOLN PARISH MAN SENTENCED IN DEER CASE
A Lincoln Parish
man was sentenced Dec. 13th in 3rd Judicial District Court
in Ruston after pleading guilty to taking two antlerless deer in one day and
failure to wear hunters orange.
3rd Judicial District Court Judge Wayne Smith sentenced Ryan M. Combs, 21,
of Choudrant to pay a $50 fine for the hunters orange violation and $250
plus court costs in the amount of $120 for taking over the daily limit of
deer.
Combs was also ordered to pay a $524 civil restitution to the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for one of the deer taken. Combs was
cited by LDWF Enforcement Division agents with the two does on Oct. 21
during the special muzzleloader season. Agents seized both deer and donated
them to charity.
Agents participating in the case were Lt. Mike Rockett, Sgt. Thomas Risser
and Senior Agents Scott Jeansonne and Stan House.
THREE MEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED DEER VIOLATIONS
Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents
arrested three Louisiana residents for alleged deer violations that took
place in and around the area of the Estelle 2 pump station in Marrero on
Dec. 15.
Agents responded to a call that gunshots were heard after legal shooting
hours in a wooded area near the pump station. They set up surveillance on
the scene and saw three men cleaning whitetail deer at the pump station.
The men were stopped and identified as Jeremy Kinley, 25, of Harvey, Jason
M. Daigle, 21, of Covington, and Brian M. Baudoin, 47, also of Harvey.
Baudoin is employed as the pump operator for the Estelle 2 pump station and
was on duty at the time.
Further investigation determined that Baudoin had opened the locked gates
around the pump station, giving Kinley and Daigle access to the wooded area
surrounding the pump. Kinley and Daigle both gave statements that Baudoin
had allowed them to shoot the deer from the pump station property after
legal shooting hours and then left his station and transported them onto
private property to retrieve the deer. The two high-powered rifles used in
the violation were seized as evidence. Three whitetail deer were also
seized and later donated.
Baudoin, Kinley and Daigle were each arrested for hunting deer during
illegal hours, possession of illegally taken deer, possession of over the
legal limit of deer and criminal trespassing.
The above violations vary from Class 3 to Class 6 and can carry a penalty
range between a $250 to $950 fine, or jail time up to 90 days, or both plus
court costs for each offense. Civil penalties will also be assessed for the
value of the three-whitetail deer at $524.54 per deer.
Agents participating in the case were Lt. Stephen McManus, Sgt. James
Gregoire and Senior Agents Kris Bourgeois and Jason Gernados.
PIERRE PART MEN NETTED FOR SHAD GILLNET VIOLATIONS
Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents
cited four Pierre Part men on Dec. 15, 2006 for allegedly violating shad
gillnet provisions.
Eno Domingue, 43, Eric Hue Sr. 50, Lance Metrejean, 29, and Derrick Daigle,
21, all of Pierre Part were returning to a landing in two separate vessels
when agents stopped them and found 45 pounds of garfish, 4 pounds of
freshwater drum, 4 pounds of mullet and 54 pounds of catfish with shad
gillnets and shad.
Agents seized the fish and donated them to charity. Agents also placed both
vessels and two 1,200-foot gill nets under a departmental seizure order
pending trial.
Agents received complaints of fisherman keeping fish other than shad and
skipjack taken with shad gillnets. By law, fishermen using shad gillnets
may only keep skipjack and shad when using such nets in Verret, Palourde and
Lac Des Allemands lakes.
If convicted, the men could pay fines up to $950, plus court costs or be
sentenced up to 120 days in jail.
Agents participating in the case were Sgt. Winston Michel and Agent Tyler
Marroy.
ILLEGAL NIGHT HUNTER SENTENCED TO JAIL
Burt Rico, 47, of
Moreauville pled no contest to hunting deer illegally at
night with a .22 caliber rifle on Nov. 14, 2006 and was sentenced to 60 days
in the Avoyelles Parish Jail. Judge Mark Jeansonne of the 12th Judicial
District Court in Marksville, La. also fined Rico $1,051.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents
discovered Rico hunting with the aid of a deer feeder equipped with lights
on Dec. 15, 2005. Agents cited him for hunting without a basic and big game
hunting license, failure to wear hunter orange and hunting deer with illegal
methods and during illegal hours with an artificial light. On the following
day, investigating agents learned that Rico was a convicted felon. He was
then arrested and booked into the Avoyelles Parish Jail.
District Attorney Charles Riddle III personally handled the case and stated,
"We will not tolerate night hunting and the associated crimes with this
activity. Hopefully, this punishment will send a message that a hunting
license is required and hunting will be allowed only during legal hunting
hours along with the requirement of obeying rules that the vast majority of
our hunters follow. The few that violate these laws will be dealt with
accordingly," Riddle said.
Agents participating in the investigation include Cpt. Peter Oliver, Sgt.
Gabe Guidry and Senior Agent Jay Callegari.
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