IA: Conesville man faces multiple illegal hunting charges

October 28, 2010

Conesville man faces multiple illegal hunting charges

MUSCATINE, Iowa - A Conesville man faces 17 years in prison and up to $46,500 in fines after being charged with various firearms and illegal hunting and fishing violations last week.

Bradley V. Honts, 28, was arrested by Iowa conservation officers Oct. 23, in a private farm field north of Conesville during the opening of the Iowa duck hunting season.

Honts was charged with: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon hunting without a valid hunting license while under suspension hunting without a valid wildlife habitat fee while under suspension hunting migratory waterfowl without the state migratory bird fee while under suspension hunting migratory waterfowl without a federal duck stamp while under suspension.

In addition, on Oct. 19, Honts was indicted by the Muscatine County Attorney's Office and charged with two counts of fishing without a valid fishing license while under suspension.

Officials from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources also seized three firearms in connection with the investigation.

Each of the fishing and hunting violations Honts faces are aggravated misdemeanors, punishable by up to two years in prison and up to a $6,500 fine per count.

The firearms charge is a Class D Felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $7,500 fine.

All the charges were filed in connection with an ongoing investigation by Iowa DNR officials involving Honts' alleged illegal fishing and hunting activity.

This isn't Honts' first time facing these kinds of charges.

In 2005, Honts pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and a waterfowl hunting violation..

In 2007, Honts was convicted of five violations involving sport turtle trapping, resulting in the suspension of his hunting and fishing privileges for a period of three years under the Iowa DNR's multiple offender system.

In 2009, Honts was charged with 12 counts of taking bullfrogs without a valid fishing license while under suspension and 15 counts of taking and having possession of bullfrogs over the legal daily bag limit while under suspension.

In January, Honts pleaded guilty to 10 of those charges resulting in an additional 10-year suspension of his Iowa hunting and fishing privileges.

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