Three Men Who Illegally Killed Wildlife Face Federal Charges

By Dennis Lambert
Published: Tuesday, November 11, 2014 - 12:03pm

Three men who have been convicted for state hunting violations in Nevada are now facing trial on federal charges stemming from a poaching ring.

Federal officials claim the men were involved in the illegal killing of untold numbers of deer, antelope, birds and other wildlife across Nevada. The poaching ring was discovered after one of the defendants posted a picture on Facebook of two deer he shot and killed out of season last June, according to Nevada’s Wildlife Department.

The resulting investigation found the three men, all in the 30s, had been illegally killing and butchering animals across the state and bragging about it online since early in 2013.

Nevada Wildlife officials describe the three, who were convicted of misdemeanor hunting violations in state court earlier this year, as serial wildlife killers. They were indicted by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas on felony firearms offenses and criminal charges under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The three, who lived in Las Vegas, are suspected of entering the U.S. illegally and are in federal custody awaiting trial.