Friday, June 8, 2007
WASHINGTON: Undercover Investigation of Illiegal Hunting Leads to
Arrests
Three men from Longview, Washington were charged today with illegal
hunting following an undercover investigation conducted by the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
Micky Ray Gordon, Joseph A. Dills, and Adam Lee were arrested
Wednesday night by WDFW enforcement officers in the Longview-Kelso area
after a seven-month investigation stemming from a complaint from a
concerned citizen.
Gordon, 36, was charged in Wahkiakum County Superior Court with one
count of hunting black bear, cougar, bobcat or lynx with the aid of
hounds; one count of animal cruelty; one count of unlawful big game
hunting; one count of possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle;
five counts of criminal trespass onto private woodlands; and two counts
of malicious mischief.
Dills, 20, was charged in Wahkiakum County District Court with one
count of hunting black bear, cougar, bobcat or lynx with the aid of
hounds; one count of unlawful big game hunting; and five counts of
criminal trespass onto private woodlands
Lee, 22, was charged in Lewis County Superior Court with one count of
unlawful big game hunting.
A fourth man arrested Wednesday night in conjunction with the same
illegal-hunting investigation has not yet been charged.
Concurrent with the arrests, WDFW officers searched five residences
and a taxidermist’s shop. Three hounds were seized, along with firearms,
computers, vehicles, tracking equipment and other evidence, said Bill
Jarmon, deputy chief of the WDFW enforcement program.
The dogs and the other items will be held by WDFW as evidence in the
case, he said.
“Based on the evidence gathered so far, we expect to file additional
charges in the coming weeks,” said Jarmon, noting that the investigation
will continue.
Posted by The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
