Prison sentences are almost unheard of.
But Hillsman's poaching was so relentless that, for the first time ever, state game officials thought seriously of bringing him up on RICO charges. The federal Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, passed in 1970, is widely known as the law that brought down the Mafia. The more Markee studied Hillsman and his associates, the more they reminded him of a classic narcotics ring. With RICO, you've got a moving picture of the entire scope of activity. In December 1997, Markee touched base with Bob Hamilton and Brenda Rocklin, prosecutors in the Oregon attorney general's organized crime section.