Source: https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/2017/06/01/25-charged-poaching-muskingum-county/357886001/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 20:30:52+00:00

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A two-year investigation by Ohio Department of Natural Resources resulted in the conviction of 25 individuals from the Philo area.
PHILO - A two-year investigation by Ohio Department of Natural Resources resulted in the conviction of 25 individuals, including 20 juveniles, mostly from the Philo/Duncan Falls area.
"This has been a long investigation with a lot of people involved," said Jeff Berry, state wildlife officer for Muskingum County.
The investigation began when state wildlife officers observed a vehicle spotlighting deer in a hay field near Philo in 2014. When officers approached, the vehicle fled the scene at a high rate of speed alluding officers, according to Lindsay Rist, ODNR wildlife communications specialist.
"The state highway patrol provided a lead in December 2015 when state troopers pulled over an adult and four juveniles and discovered three dead deer in the vehicle," Rist said. "State wildlife officers and investigators followed up with the individuals and were able to determine that one of the juveniles had been a passenger in the vehicle that had fled the year before."
Through subsequent contacts, additional suspects and violations were identified.
"The investigation eventually led to 25 individuals being issued summons for more than 200 counts of wildlife violations," Rist said. "The defendants were found guilty on 161 of those counts and ordered to pay $1,675 in fines, $3,991 in court costs and complete 440 hours of community service."
The individuals answered to charges in Muskingum County Common Pleas Court and Muskingum County Juvenile Court separately over the course of the past year.
Caleb Dotson, 21, Zanesville, convicted on April 11, 2016, of two counts of carrying a concealed weapon. Sentenced to seven days in jail and ordered to pay $500 in fines and $75 in court costs and forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Must complete a concealed carry class.
Tiffany Ludwig, 40, Roseville, convicted on Sept. 7, 2016, of providing false information to a deer check station. Ordered to pay $100 in fines, $114 in court costs, and complete 20 hours of community service.
Jake Mahan, 19, Zanesville, convicted on Sept. 9, 2016, of jacklighting. Ordered to pay $25 in fines and $98 in court costs. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension.
Jacob Skinner, 20, McConnelsville, convicted on Oct. 6, 2016 of hunting without a deer permit and failure to check a deer. Ordered to pay $100 in fines, $155 in court costs, successfully complete a hunter education course, and may not incur any criminal convictions for five years. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension.
Lane Ashton, 19, Duncan Falls, convicted on Sept. 12, 2016, of hunting without a deer permit, and providing a false affidavit to procure a hunting license. Ordered to pay $200 in fines, $133 in court costs, forfeit deer antlers and a cape, successfully complete a hunter education course, and may not incur any criminal charges for two years. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension.
Juvenile 1, convicted of five counts of jacklighting, two counts of hunting without permission, two counts of failure to game check a deer, possession of an illegal firearm while hunting deer, providing false information to a deer check station, shooting a wild animal from across a roadway, littering on private property, and taking more than two deer per license year in Muskingum County. Ordered to pay $500 in fines, $432 in court costs, forfeit a deer mount, and successfully complete a hunter education course. Placed under a two-year hunting license suspension.
Juvenile 2, convicted of two counts of jacklighting, failure to game check a turkey, failure to validate a turkey tag, and possession of untagged turkey parts. Ordered to pay $216 in court costs, complete 20 hours of community service, and successfully complete a hunter education course. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and placed under minimum level community control.
Juvenile 3, convicted of two counts of jacklighting, five counts of hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, and two counts of hunting without a deer permit. Ordered to pay $162 in court costs, complete 20 hours of community service, and successfully complete a hunter education course. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and placed under minimum level community control.
Juvenile 4, convicted of nine counts of jacklighting, three counts of aiding a wildlife offender, hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, and taking a deer with an illegal firearm. Ordered to pay $216 in court costs, complete 30 hours of community service, successfully complete a hunter education course and write an apology letter. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and placed under minimum level community control.
Juvenile 5, convicted of two counts of jacklighting, four counts of hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, and four counts of hunting without a deer permit. Ordered to pay $162 in court costs, complete 30 hours of community service, successfully complete a hunter education course and forfeit a shotgun. Placed under a two-year hunting license suspension and placed under medium level community control.
Juvenile 6, convicted on 15 counts of jacklighting, five counts of aiding a wildlife offender, two counts of failure to game check a deer and failure to validate a deer tag. Ordered to pay $216 in court costs, complete 45 hours of community service, successfully complete a hunter education course and write an apology letter. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and placed under minimal level community control.
Juvenile 7, convicted of eight counts of jacklighting, two counts of failure to game check a deer, possession of untagged deer parts, shooting a wild animal from across a roadway, hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, failure to validate a deer tag and hunting without permission. Ordered to pay $378 in court costs, complete 45 hours of community service and successfully complete a hunter education course. Placed under a two-year hunting license suspension and placed under minimum level community control.
Juvenile 8, convicted of jacklighting, hunting with a license and hunting without a deer permit. Ordered to pay $162 in court costs, complete 20 hours of community service and successfully complete a hunter education course. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and placed under minimum level community control.
Juvenile 9, convicted of 22 counts of jacklighting, aiding a wildlife offender, failure to game check a deer, and possession of untagged deer parts. Ordered to pay $216 in court costs, forfeit animal parts and ginseng, complete 40 hours of community service, successfully complete a hunter education course, and write an apology letter. Also placed under an 18-month hunting license suspension, and placed under medium level community control.
Juvenile 10, convicted of 14 counts of jacklighting, failure to game check a deer, and possession of untagged deer parts, Ordered to pay $162 in court costs, forfeit a shotgun, complete 40 hours of community service, successfully complete a hunter education courses, and write apology letter. Also placed under a one-year hunting license suspension, and placed under medium level community control.
Juvenile 11, convicted of hunting with an apprentice license unaccompanied by a licensed adult, and possession of untagged deer parts. Ordered to pay $54 in court costs, forfeit deer antlers, complete 20 hours of community service, successfully complete a hunter education course and write an apology letter. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and placed under minimum level community control.
Juvenile 12, convicted of two counts of providing a false affidavit to procure a hunting license, and hunting without a license. Ordered to pay $236 in court costs, complete 20 hours of community service and successfully complete a hunter education course. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and placed under minimum level community control.
Juvenile 13, convicted of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle and criminal mischief. Ordered to pay $250 in fines, $304 in court costs, complete 20 hours of community service, successfully complete a hunter education course, cooperate with co-defendants’ cases and write an apology letter. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and placed under community control.
Juvenile 14, convicted of transporting a white-tail deer taken illegally, stream litter, possession of untagged deer parts, and three counts of jacklighting. Ordered to pay $324 in court costs, complete 20 hours of community service, successfully complete a hunter education course, cooperate with co-defendants’ cases and write an apology letter.
Juvenile 15, convicted of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, and three counts of possession of untagged deer parts. Ordered to pay $68 in court costs, forfeit a rifle, complete 30 hours of community control and successfully complete a hunter education course. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and placed under community control.
Juvenile 16, convicted of jacklighting, hunting without a license, possession of untagged deer parts, aiding a wildlife offender and stream litter. Ordered to pay $108 in court costs, complete 20 hours of community service, successfully complete a hunter education course, cooperate with co-defendant’s cases and write an apology letter. Placed under a one-year hunting license suspension and under minimum probation.
Juvenile 17, convicted of jacklighting. Ordered to complete a diversion program.
Juvenile 18, convicted of jacklighting, hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle and hunting deer after hours. Ordered to complete a Diversion Program.
Juvenile 19, convicted of jacklighting. Ordered to complete a diversion program.
Juvenile 20, convicted of jacklighting. Ordered to complete a diversion program.
Rist said several items were seized during the investigation including firearms, deer parts and ginseng.
The Times Recorder first learned about the large-scale case last fall and has since made routine contact with Berry and Rist attempting to obtain the information. The information was only made public by ODNR on Thursday.
"It takes more time to coordinate and process information when there are more individuals involved in a case and more charges to be filed," Rist said. "Things can also get held up in court and our officers and investigators are working on multiple cases at a time."

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