Poachers Busted

[Quillback]

Saw this in the weekly AR Game & Fish report.

AGFC wildlife officers arrest two on game violations

PRUITT - Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife officers arrested two individuals in Newton County for violating state game laws. Linda Morgan of Fairview in Marion County and Lewis Weeks of near Marble Falls in Newton County were arrested after officers found them with four unchecked deer and an elk.

The two were taken into custody after the officers found elk and deer carcasses on Weeks’ property.

Weeks was charged with an elk hunting violation, no hunting license, four counts of failure to tag and check deer, possession of a controlled substance, possession of an instrument of a crime and driving on a suspended license. Weeks also was given two warnings for doe deer prohibited and a raptor violation. His total bond was $8,130.

Morgan was charged with aiding and abetting in a violation, hunting without a license and was given a warning for interfering with a wildlife officer. Her bond was set at $500. The AGFC’s Cpl. Shawn Smith, Sgt. Kenny Seay, Cpl. Les Gustavus and Wildlife Officer Matt Garcia were involved in the investigation.

[fishinwrench]

How do you get a "warning" for "doe deer prohibited" when you don't even have a hunting license ?

I love the way they purposely stack bogus additional charges on top of valid ones to give lawyers room to negotiate. Such a game.

In the end he'll plead guilty to 2 counts, loose his guns and all his money, do 90 days and get some probation.

The charges on the woman will be dropped as soon as she writes a statement, whether it aids the prosecution or not. And all the deer meat will get tossed in a dumpster.

Why not just charge him with 2 counts to begin with, and eliminate tying the courts up for 2 years ?

[Quillback]

I think what this says is that he did not have a license (or permit) for elk. But he may have a hunting license. I wonder what a "raptor violation" is?

[FishinCricket]

"raptor violation" is probably for having a stuffed eagle or something...

Sounds to me like these two got the books thrown at them.. Which means there's a decent chunk of the story none of us will get to hear.. (I.E. They did something to MAJORLY piss off the agents/agency)

[fishinwrench]

I wonder what a "raptor violation" is?

They probably have reason to think that he shot a hawk or an eagle. That charge will get dropped.

[troutfiend1985]

They probably have reason to think that he shot a hawk or an eagle. That charge will get dropped.

Isn't possession of an eagle a federal offense?

[fishinwrench]

Isn't possession of an eagle a federal offense?

Supposedly. But the term "federal offense" has a bark much worse than its bite, most generally.

Every case that I've known of that was called a "federal crime" my first thought was "Oh S#!t this dude is going DOWN"...

But then I always see them several months later driving a new truck and living the good life. So it must not be as big of a deal as it sounds.

We've been conditioned to loose our breath for a moment when we hear the word "federal".

[Mark]

I agree, a "federal offense" with regard to hunting violations is a slap on the wrist for a first offense. Lose hunting priviledges for 5 years and pay a couple thousand dollar fine.

[Wayne SW/MO]

The raptor violation might be possession of a hawk or falcon without a permit.

[Tim Smith]

The raptor violation might be possession of a hawk or falcon without a permit.

There are also fines for possessing raptor feathers, used to be up to 25,000 for bald eagles back when they were on the endangered species list.

...might have had the wrong kind of feather in his cap.