The undercover operation culminated in a complex, multi-agency plan to document most of the suspected violators, who were gathered at the Forts public campground in anticipation of the opening weekend of Missouris turkey hunting season. The raid was carried out in early afternoon when military police entered the campground in recreational vehicles and quickly surrounded campers suspected of illegal activity. Within one minute, military police had secured the area, allowing special law enforcement agents from the Service and Missouri Department of Conservation to search for illegal wildlife and interview subjects.
The operation began in early 1996, when Service senior law enforcement agent Larry Keck, acting on information from the Army, organized an undercover effort in which Service special agents joined the loose-knit group of suspected poachers. Undercover agents contacted members of the group and spent the next year participating in hunting trips and observing illegal activity.
During the year, undercover agents witnessed a variety of wildlife law violations, including hunting out of season, exceeding legal bag limits, and using illegal and unsafe hunting methods to kill deer, turkey, and doves. Violations occurred in Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa, and one hunter is suspected of illegally killing a mountain lion in Colorado.
Much of the suspected illegal hunting took place at Fort Leonard Wood in highly populated areas, such as housing districts, or in areas used intensively for military training exercises. Suspected poachers allegedly shot deer and turkey from roadways, and in one instance, from the Forts car wash. Suspected poachers were often under the influence of drugs or alcohol while shooting at wildlife on the base. Investigators reported that sounds of shots from illegal hunting were often mistakenly attributed to Army training exercises.
Approximately 20 individuals were interviewed concerning more than 100 suspected violations of federal and state wildlife laws as well as possession of illegal drugs and theft of government property. This information will be provided to the U.S. Attorney and to state prosecutors for further action or prosecution. During the search at the campground and at locations in St. Louis and Potosi, Missouri, agents found wildlife or wildlife parts, including illegally killed deer, turkey doves, and a mountain lion. The Army issued letters to several individuals barring them from entering Fort Leonard Wood in the future because of violations of base laws.
Federal law violations included the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which regulates sport hunting of waterfowl and migratory game birds and protects other migratory birds; and the Lacey Act, which restricts interstate sale or transport of illegally taken wildlife, or transport of wildlife killed in violation of a federal law.
Key participants in the investigation were the Services Special Agent Greg Jackson, who worked undercover; Missouri Department of Conservation Agent Terry Roberson, who provided intelligence on the group; and Fort Leonard Wood Post Game Warden Bob Struckmeier whose information to the Service prompted the investigation. Working closely with the Service and Missouri Department of Conservation were the U.S. Attorneys Office; and the Armys Military Police, Military Police Investigators, Criminal Investigative Division, and the Judge Advocate General office.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
