Mississippi deer poachers ordered to pay nearly $120,000 in Southern Illinois

Poachers would later transport the carcass back to Mississippi, where they would harvest and process the deer, typically mounting the deer’s head, antlers or other parts of its body.

“This was not an isolated incident of unlawful hunting; rather, it was a calculated, multi-year operation that exploited Illinois's prized wildlife resources for personal gain,” said Assistant Director Douglas Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “Targeting trophy deer under the cover of night, across multiple counties, and transporting them across state lines reflects a deliberate disregard for wildlife laws and the ecological balance we work tirelessly to protect. Such organized violations undermine decades of conservation progress and diminish the integrity of fair-chase hunting traditions that responsible hunters value nationwide."

54-year-old Lee J. Johnson of Saucier, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful transport of wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act and was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution and a $10,000 fine.

56-year-old Steven J. Pique of Biloxi, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

40-year-old Gerald B. Moran of Saucier, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful transport of wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act and was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and a $2,500 fine.

30-year-old Joshua A. Marshall of Saucier, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful transport of wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution and a $2,500 fine.

57-year-old John M. Pritchard of Biloxi, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful transport of wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act and was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and a $5,000 fine.

The defendants’ fines will go to the Lacey Act Reward Account through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service while restitution will go to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

“This case sends a clear message: wildlife laws are not only about species protection, but they also uphold the principles of fair chase and ethical hunting,” said Jed Whitchurch, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Law Enforcement.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Conservation Police, with support from USFWS Federal Wildlife Officers, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Sanders prosecuted the case.