Warden Wire: Illegal trafficking of black bear stopped in Wisconsin
Classic case of poachers stealing from public
And thanks to teamwork involving the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the long-running case of illegal trafficking of black bears in Wisconsin northwoods is over.
Last week, U.S. Attorney James L. Santelle for the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced three Wisconsin men and one North Carolina man all entered guilty pleas to violations of the Lacey Act related to the trafficking of black bears illegally killed in Wisconsin.
Those convicted were:
- John J. Kellogg, 48, of Gillett;
- Christopher Halfmann, 41, of Green Bay;
- Michael Renken, 53 of Merrill; and,
- Mark Barlament, 53, of Mint Hill, North Carolina.
"This is a classic case a few people who are not representative of the hunting community stealing opportunity from law-abiding hunters," Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Chief Warden Randy Stark says.
Beginning in 2009, and continuing through 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conducted an undercover investigation into the illegal killing of black bears and other game animals. In September 2009, Kellogg, Barlament and Halfmann arranged for the illegal sale and transfer of Barlament’s Class A bear license (allowing for the shooting and tagging of a bear) to an undercover officer, in violation of Wisconsin law. Kellogg, Halfmann and others then provided guide services, which resulted in a bear being illegally killed and tagged. Kellogg facilitated the transfer of meat from the bear, as well as a rug made from the bear hide to an undercover officer in another state.
- Kellogg pled guilty to one felony count of violating the Lacey Act and was sentenced on January 23 to six months in prison. He was also ordered to serve three years supervised release and make a $10,000 contribution to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conservation accounts. His hunting, trapping and fishing privileges were revoked for 15 years. Kellogg also was ordered to forfeit his hunting dogs, which had been used to facilitate these illegal hunts, as well as a truck, dog tracking equipment and a rifle.
- Halfmann pled guilty to two of misdemeanor violations of the Lacey Act and was sentenced on January 18 to three years of probation with conditions, including a $5,000 contribution to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conservation accounts and a six-year revocation of his hunting, trapping, and fishing privileges.
- Renken pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating the Lacey Act and was sentenced on January 2 to two years of probation with conditions, including a $3,000 contribution to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conservation accounts and a five-year revocation of his hunting and trapping privileges.
- Barlament pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating the Lacey Act and was sentenced on September 24, 2012, to one year of probation with conditions, including a $1,000 contribution to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conservation accounts and a five-year revocation of his hunting, trapping and fishing privileges.
In addition to federal violations, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials documented multiple state wildlife violations. State cases are still pending on other defendants connected to this investigation.
See the entire U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service release.