# Great Work Div. of Wildlife District 4!!!



## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

BUSTED!!!

ENFORCEMENT Operation Uncovers Alleged Poachers in Meigs and Franklin Counties

Officers issue nearly 60 citations to nine suspects with several charges pending



ATHENS, OH  Nine Ohio residents were charged with a total of 59 wildlife violations today in Meigs County Municipal Court, following an investigation into an alleged local poaching ring.

The suspects are accused of poaching deer and wild turkey in Meigs County, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Meigs County Wildlife Officer Keith Wood, along with the Division of Wildlifes Covert Enforcement Unit, conducted this investigation. Wildlife officers and investigators were assisted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Meigs County Sheriffs Office and Pomeroy Police Department as they executed a search warrant and issued citations at seven locations Friday afternoon. Officials seized dozens of white-tailed deer mounts and antler racks, as well as firearms and all-terrain vehicles.

The undercover investigation, dubbed Operation Enough, was the result of local sportsmen and landowners who had all had enough of the alleged criminal activity. 

If convicted, the suspects will face fines, possible jail time and forfeiture of hunting privileges. A first-time wildlife offense involving the illegal taking or possession of deer could result in fines of up to $500 and a maximum of 60 days in jail. Violators may also be required to pay restitution for illegally taken animals, at a minimum value of $400 per deer and $300 per wild turkey. All illegally taken wildlife, as well as firearms and motor vehicles used in the violations, may also be ordered forfeited. 

Investigation into this case is ongoing and several charges are pending. Those charged today include:



Hobert L. Cundiff, 41, of Langsville - Hunting deer with the aid of a motor vehicle, transporting a loaded firearm within a motor vehicle, hunting without permission, taking more than one wild turkey per day, hunting turkey without a wild turkey permit, failure to tag wild turkey, providing false information to a check station, hunting deer without a deer permit, failure to temporary tag deer (four charges), failure to check deer (four charges) and hunting outside of legal shooting times.



Tracey L. Cundiff, 37, of Langsville - Providing false information to a deer check station and aiding and assisting in taking deer illegally.



Travis L. Cundiff, 18, of Langsville - Hunting without a hunting license (four charges), hunting deer without a deer tag (four charges), failure to temporarily tag deer, failure to permanently check deer, hunting deer with a shotgun during closed season (two charges), take more than one antlered deer, possession of illegal/untagged parts, aid an offender in violating wildlife laws, and hunting deer with the aid of a motor vehicle.



Jason L. Miller, 24, of Langsville - Hunting without permission, taking a second antlered deer, failure to temporary tag a deer, failure to permanently tag a deer, hunting with a shotgun during closed season (2 charges), and hunting deer with the aid of a motor vehicle.



Gerald W. McQuirt, 64, of Grove City - Possession of illegal deer parts, hunting and taking deer with the aid of a motor vehicle and providing a check station with false information.



Danniel L. McQuirt, 41, of Grove City - Hunting without permission, hunt without a fur-taker permit, hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, and transporting a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle.



Robert Crawford, 51, of Rutland - Failure to temporary tag deer, providing false information to a check station, taking deer by an unlawful method and possessing untagged deer.



Tania Crawford, 45, of Rutland - Improperly tagging turkey and providing false information to a check station.



Sharon A. Thomas, 59 of Langsville - Attaching a temporary tag to a deer killed by another, receiving or possessing an untagged deer and providing false information to a check station.


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## FishinDawg (Mar 9, 2005)

Really Great Job Officers, 

Now we have to put some pressure on the judges to hand down stiffer sentences, Jail time & big fines, loss of hunting & fishing licence dosent mean anything to these idiots anyway, hit them where it counts, jail & wallet.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

The ODNR has been doing a great job lately of busting these losers. I have seen a couple other repeat poachers busted in the Ohio Outdoor News.

I agree with fishinDawg that the loss of hunting privledges means nothing other than when they get busted next time it is an additional charge. It seems there is a small amount of people who just don't care. I think the state should consider increasing the penalty per animal - at $400 per deer that is a sweet deal for a poacher. They should increase the price in line with these ranch hunts - something like $2500 per kill plus $25 per inch (gross score) if it is a buck. 150 class 10 point would cost em $6,250. 
I just made the pricing system up for an example before anybody corrects me for ranch hunts. I don't know anything about them other than they are expensive from the adds I see in magazines.


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## FishinDawg (Mar 9, 2005)

I've always wondered why the judge dosent sentence the guys to be handcuffed for one week stright left hand your wife, right hand your mother -in law...


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