Four Mississippi hunters received large fines for illegally taking game out of state, without licenses and over the limits. Each man faced between 1- and 7-year prison sentences in addition to fines ranging between $100,000 and $450,000.
The men were initially charged with killing over two dozen turkeys and a number of hawks while hunting illegally in Kansas and Nebraska in 2017 or 2018. The four were arrested following a grand jury hearing, after a long investigation by state and federal wildlife agencies.
U.S. District Judge David Bramlette sentenced Kenneth R. Britt Jr., 51, Tony Grant Smith, 26, Barney Leon Bairfield III, 28, and Dustin Corey Treadway, 28, for violating federal wildlife laws last week, including crossing state lines with turkeys and trophies.
See Also: Four Mississippi Men Charged with Federal Wildlife Crimes
At sentencing, the judge reduced the penalties to a total of $48,000 and probation for all four men. Any man found violating the terms of the probation will serve time, ranging from 2 to 5 years.
The terms of the probation include a strict ban on hunting for all four men, world-wide. If anyone goes hunting, joins a hunting party, or attends a hunting camp in that time, they will be in violation of their probation.
Britt will have to pay $25,000 and serve 5 years on probation. Smith will have to pay $15,000 and serve 4 years on probation. Bairfield and Treadway will pay $3,000 and $5,000 and each will serve two years on probation.