This weeks sentencing of a Virginia man in a federal courtroom in Charlottesville, Va., marked the close of an investigation into illegal guiding, outfitting and hunting on public lands in New Mexico. The investigation resulted in the successful prosecution in federal and state courts of 21 individuals, including the owner of a New Mexico outfitting company, a Virginia taxidermist, and several professional hunting guides and numerous hunter-clients. The case has been open since 2003, when a tip was received by a Virginia game warden.
Wesley McGlothlin, the final defendant in the case, is owner/operator of Antler Ridge Taxidermy in Amissville, Va. He was convicted in New Mexico of a felony Lacey Act violation and sentenced to a fine and probation. This week in Charlottesville, McGlothlin was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to a fine. The latter charge stems from a previous felony conviction for illegally selling wildlife.
The individuals involved in the case were setting up an illegal business in which guides took out-of-state sportsmen on the Valles Caldera National Preserve and other public lands in New Mexico to shoot elk, mule deer, antelope, cougar, black bear, oryx and other big game, even though state laws prohibited such hunts. Other violations included hunting without valid state hunting licenses, during closed seasons, without permits for protected government properties, from roadways and leaving game in the field to rot.
Individuals from New Mexico who pleaded guilty to a range of charges have been identified as Jeff Clem, Eric Garcia, Mark Martinez, Rudy Valdez, Vernon McCall and Mike Archuleta, all from the Espanola area. Archuletta and Clem were already on probation for previous Lacey Act violations. The sentence for Archuleta, the owner/operator of Mark V. Outfitters and Sierra Taxidermy in Espanola, included a condition of providing no outfitting or guiding services for five years.
Individuals in Virginia who pleaded guilty or abandoned wildlife include several guides employed by Mark V. Outfitters, some hunter clients, and some violators of Lacey Act or Virginia laws that were exposed peripherally by this investigation including: Brett Boyce, Amissville; Robert Brooks, Manassas; John Chelena, Centerville; Colin Clem and Debbie Miloslavich of Linden; Chett Cockrill and Mike Johnson of Fredericksburg; Jamie Garrison and Kevin Stringfellow of Culpeper; Brandon Ellison, Chris Wolfe and Richard Wolfe of Aldie; Shawn Hamrick, Huntly; Jessie Stringfellow, the Plains; Martin Thorpe, Lodi, Calif.; Jessica Webster, Rappahannock County, Va.; and Shawn Anderson, Roy Adams, Gary Charles and Foster Straub from Pennsylvania.
This investigation disrupted a large-scale illegal guiding operation that was exploiting public resources for profit and greed," said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Chavez, who oversees Service law enforcement operations in the Southwest. Wildlife is not meant to be commercialized for the monetary benefit of a few. Profiteering by providing illegal hunting opportunities was conducted at the expense of New Mexicos wildlife recourses.
This large-scale operation and investigation revealed that the effect on New Mexicos big game resources was becoming detrimental and needed to be stopped," said Chavez. "Several Service agents, state game wardens and prosecutors from Virginia, New Mexico and the Washington, D.C., Department of Justice were instrumental in assisting with the successful completion of this case, as well as undercover agents from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Service," said Chavez.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and the Service's Office of Law Enforcement. Prosecutors Fred Frederici and Dean Tuckman of Albuquerque, N.M., Rusty Fitzgerald and William Gould of Charlottesville, Va., and Wayne Hettenbach and David Joyce of the Department of Justice prosecuted the case. Hettenbach prosecuted at the Alexandria Division of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Charges filed included violations of New Mexico hunting laws, the federal Lacey Act, False Statements, felon in possession of firearms, taxidermy permit violations, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act. There were also significant cruelty to animals charges because one of the defendants was trapping hawks and shooting his neighbors dogs and cats.
The subjects either pleaded guilty in state or federal courts in New Mexico or Virginia. Nine subjects were convicted of 10 felonies. Sentences range from probation to 12 months imprisonment. There were a total of $51,500 in fines, $59,350 in restitution, 36 months imprisonment, 42 years of probation, and forfeiture of 80 wildlife items, one truck, and 11 firearms. The wildlife items included bear rugs, full body cougar mounts, elk antlers, head and shoulder elk mounts, antelope and oryx horns, and mule deer antlers. Penalties also include a prohibition of any hunting for nine individuals for a period of 24 years combined. All of the felony convictions carry a life-long prohibition from hunting with firearms.
Under the Lacey Act, passed in 1900 with the purpose of providing additional protection to wildlife, it is a federal offense to take, possess, transport, sell, import or export wild animals from their natural environment with the intention to make a profit.
The restitution funds were directed to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and will be used for conservation efforts in New Mexico and in Virginia.
To report poaching or wildlife crime call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-432- 4263.
