# Poacher caught



## quest32a (Sep 25, 2001)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2009

Contact: Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014

Grand Rapids Man Scheduled for Arraignment July 9 in Sturgeon Poaching Case
A 30-year old Grand Rapids man is scheduled to be arraigned July 9 in 61st District Court in Grand Rapids on charges that he illegally caught and possessed a lake sturgeon. The charges stem from a May 17 incident on the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, when the man allegedly hooked the fish in the tail, brought it to the river bank, dragged it to a waiting pickup truck and left the area. 
Several onlookers took photos on their cellphones of the man, and called after him to return the fish to the river, but he ignored them. Conservation officers from the Department of Natural Resources also will be seeking charges against the man&#8217;s father, who allegedly aided and abetted the man at the scene, providing the pickup truck and driving away from the location.
The man turned himself in to the DNR&#8217;s Report All Poaching Hotline shortly after seeing media reports in the Grand Rapids area about the search for information on the incident. 
Conservation officers have attempted to recover the fish, which the man told them he returned to the river dead, but the fish has not been located. 
Poaching a lake sturgeon is punishable with jail time of 30 to 180 days, fines from $500 to $2,000, court costs and $1,500 in restitution to the state. Penalties also include revocation of his fishing license for the remainder of this year and for three following years.
The lake sturgeon is a protected species in Michigan, and is listed as a threatened species on the state&#8217;s threatened and endangered species list. It is illegal to keep them on most Michigan waters, with the exception of limited seasons on Black Lake in Cheboygan County, the Michigan-Wisconsin boundary waters, Otsego Lake in Otsego County and on Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River. Anglers who catch a lake sturgeon are required, under Michigan fishing regulations, to release them immediately.
The DNR is working to restore the native lake sturgeon population. Sturgeon can live to be 100 years old, but do not reproduce until later in life. It takes male sturgeons 15 to 20 years to reach sexual maturity, and females 20 to 25 years. Sturgeon spawn every four years.
Anyone with information about the incident or about the man who poached the fish should call the DNR&#8217;s Report All Poaching (RAP) Line at 800-292-7800. Information may be left confidentially.
The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations.


Thanks for posting the release Big R.


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## STEELCHASER5150 (Aug 23, 2006)

Excellent,about time. I wonder if he would not have turned himself in, would he have been located and caught.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Now we can close the other thread. Thanks for posting John. Let the gavel fall.


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## kristie (Apr 23, 2003)

haha, ya'all beat me to it.....I was gonna post the PR......thanks quest...I'm glad this is being brought to a conclusion!!!!


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## quest32a (Sep 25, 2001)

Steve said:


> Now we can close the other thread. Thanks for posting John. Let the gavel fall.


Already done, it was actually Big R that posted this in the coldwater forum. I just copied it here so it would get more views and since the other thread was here.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

I did not see this thread when I posted the release in a new thread...please remove it if you like, Steve...sorry!


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## Queequeg (Aug 10, 2007)

I'm surprisingly glad that the punishment is pretty heavy; big fine, jail time, and no fishing license for up to three years.


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## sullyxlh (Oct 28, 2004)

I don't think this news will be as big as the news on what the fines and penalties will be.....
Or won't be.......................


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## flinch (Aug 10, 2003)

Queequeg said:


> I'm surprisingly glad that the punishment is pretty heavy; big fine, jail time, and no fishing license for up to three years.


Doesn't mean he will get all of it. Probably just a fine and loss of license for a few years is my bet. Most game and fish law violations (baiting in no baiting zone, no fishing license, etc.) are 90 day misdemeanors (and/or 500 dollar fine) but usually result in just a fine of much less than 500 dollars if the defendant pleads guilty.


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## Ditka (Jun 24, 2009)

As far as I'm concerned they got two poachers for the price of one. Like father like son. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.


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## Undertow (Apr 5, 2006)

Glad to hear they got him. I hope the DNR hits him with everything they got.

Undertow


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## RAD FISH (Oct 17, 2006)

:: Well now that it has been made officially public I have a to ask where should the reward money go since he turned himself in? I'm not trying to be greedy and am just glad he was caught but I am the first one to send the pics. of the perp. to the DNR and the news channels days be for they where posted on this site. The pics. I sent witch eventually ended up in the press and news is what made him turn himself in and will be used to help convict him. Just a thought, let me know what you think. Maybe just some of it.:lol: RAD FISH


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## tommy-n (Jan 9, 2004)

sweet, it all worked out in the end

Don't see any problem with you getting a little something for your efforts
since he turned himself in though who knows


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

Undertow said:


> Glad to hear they got him. I hope the DNR hits him with everything they got.
> 
> Undertow


I'd like to agree with you, cause this guy is nothing but trash, but on the other hand, he did turn himself in. If he had just been caught, then I say max the penalties. If they max the penalties in this case, why would anyone ever turn themselves in?


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## GIDEON (Mar 28, 2008)

Ieatantlers said:


> I'd like to agree with you, cause this guy is nothing but trash, but on the other hand, he did turn himself in. If he had just been caught, then I say max the penalties. If they max the penalties in this case, why would anyone ever turn themselves in?


 
Nothing but trash ?, Do you know him?


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## Adam Gibbs (Jul 13, 2006)

GIDEON said:


> Nothing but trash ?, Do you know him?


 a man is to be judged by his actions. a man who illegally kills a fish should be considered trash.


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## deerhunt45 (Feb 28, 2007)

Undertow said:


> Glad to hear they got him. I hope the DNR hits him with everything they got.
> 
> Undertow


Agreed!!!


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## flinch (Aug 10, 2003)

Undertow said:


> Glad to hear they got him. I hope the DNR hits him with everything they got.
> 
> Undertow


Penalties actually handed down have nothing to do with the DNR, otherwise the outcome of many cases would probably be different.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

The DNR just issues the tickets and what charges he will eventually face will be totally up to the Prosecutor of that county.............the Pros. will submit a recommendation to the Judge and in the end it will be up to the Judge what fines/costs/restitution/forefitures and loss of fishing priv. will be. Unless the perp accepts a plea deal worked out between him and the Prosecutor.....

At this point it's in the Prosecutors lap.............

A nice and polite email to the Prosecutor would show him/her the seriousness of this crime.


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## TC-fisherman (Feb 15, 2003)

Sometimes judges act differently when they know the public is interested and watching. After all they are elected. Judges read newspapers. A few letters to the editor thanking the DNR for getting the guy and hoping the justice system does not treat this guy lightly, the damage he's done, send a message to poachers, if the guy doesn't hang what example does this set for out children, blah blah etc etc.

What would even be more impressive is to have a bunch of sportsman show up in court when the poacher is there. Sure people probably have better things to do but it would certainly bring attention. 

A normal judge dealing with scum everyday is unlikely to be outraged over a guy keeping a fish he wasn't supposed to.


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## kristie (Apr 23, 2003)

Excellent information to share wall-eye and TC....thanks.
Kristie


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## SeaRay (Jan 23, 2008)

I hope the judge gives them the max!! I don't care if it is their first offense or not. Their total disregard for the law (I think everyone knows that he was told to put the fish back in the water, ect.) shows that a firm hard penalty is in order.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

kristie said:


> Excellent information to share wall-eye and TC....thanks.
> Kristie



Since it happened at the dam I believe the Kent county Prosecutor will handle this although we'll have to wait to find out what Judge it's assigned to..........

I'm researching the name and email address of the Prosecutor and will post that info in a little bit.

Late note: This is the online info about the Kent county prosecutor.........at the bottom of the link is a contact section..........I'm sure one of his clerks monitors the emails but I would assume that a nice thought out "mass" email campaign to him can't hurt......

http://www.accesskent.com/CourtsAndLawEnforcement/ProsecutorsOffice/pros_index.htm


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Steve is is possible for you to have an official MS email petition made out where anyone from MS could actually sign their real names to and then forward it to the Prosecutor??????

I'm not computer savvy in the least and don't even know if that's possible???????

Dan


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## tommy-n (Jan 9, 2004)

my guess is he will get half the maximum penalty , afterall he did turn himself in


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## homerdog (Nov 11, 2003)

RAD FISH said:


> :: Well now that it has been made officially public I have a to ask where should the reward money go since he turned himself in? I'm not trying to be greedy and am just glad he was caught but I am the first one to send the pics. of the perp. to the DNR and the news channels days be for they where posted on this site. The pics. I sent witch eventually ended up in the press and news is what made him turn himself in and will be used to help convict him. Just a thought, let me know what you think. Maybe just some of it.:lol: RAD FISH


If they are your pictures you might as well apply for the reward, who knows, you might end up with it since it's usually for information leading to the arrest and conviction.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

homerdog said:


> If they are your pictures you might as well apply for the reward, who knows, you might end up with it since it's usually for information leading to the arrest and conviction.




Exactly YOUR pictures of him broadcast all over the state forced him to turn himself in....

Contact the DNR and apply for the reward..........good luck.


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## GIDEON (Mar 28, 2008)

Adam Gibbs said:


> a man is to be judged by his actions. a man who illegally kills a fish should be considered trash.[/quotend ]
> 
> In no way do I condone what he did, And believe that there should be some kind of penalty levied for his action. l also like you I believe that a mans character is reflected in and by his actions. Unlike some I am reluctant to label a man as trash because of a single action.( I noticed that you wrote it as plural also) No man should be labeled by an event that could possibly have been the lowest point of his life. There to many variables that can come into play. Stand back and let the legal system work. At the end of the day they are the ones that will know the hole story, and there descision should be based on that.


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## johnobub (Sep 23, 2006)

flinch said:


> Doesn't mean he will get all of it. Probably just a fine and loss of license for a few years is my bet. Most game and fish law violations (baiting in no baiting zone, no fishing license, etc.) are 90 day misdemeanors (and/or 500 dollar fine) but usually result in just a fine of much less than 500 dollars if the defendant pleads guilty.


 
The difference in this and any other ordinary type case and the reason this could result in more serious penalties is that "The lake sturgeon is a protected species in Michigan, and is listed as a threatened species on the states threatened and endangered species list."


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## flinch (Aug 10, 2003)

johnobub said:


> The difference in this and any other ordinary type case and the reason this could result in more serious penalties is that "The lake sturgeon is a protected species in Michigan, and is listed as a threatened species on the states threatened and endangered species list."


Yup, that's why the maximum penalties are steeper. We will see how the court handles it. Like others have said, this is turning into a bit of a high profile case so that may help increase the penalties handed down as well.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Great job RADFISH with all your work in helping out with this. Too bad this A Hole will not get his fishing rights revoked for life.


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## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

If this guy has any past violations I would bet he will get a stiff fine and anything else. The fact that he turned himself in will help but not much. 

As far as the reward, seems like you did cause this whole thing to get attention and eventually cause the result, he isnt convicted yet so, even though you may qualify, the end has not occured.

Nice job either way, we need more sportsmen like you to rid us of poachers like him.


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## RDS-1025 (Dec 1, 2008)

GIDEON said:


> In no way do I condone what he did, And believe that there should be some kind of penalty levied for his action. l also like you I believe that a mans character is reflected in and by his actions. Unlike some I am reluctant to label a man as trash because of a single action.( I noticed that you wrote it as plural also) No man should be labeled by an event that could possibly have been the lowest point of his life. There to many variables that can come into play. Stand back and let the legal system work. At the end of the day they are the ones that will know the hole story, and there descision should be based on that.


O.K who is this really?


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## jiggineyes (Feb 19, 2005)

Glad to see that he did turn himself in. I hope they throw the book at him and make an example of him. That fish could be 3 times his age and deserves the protection it has.


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## GIDEON (Mar 28, 2008)

RDS-1025 said:


> O.K who is this really?


 Probly just an idiot.


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

Ditka said:


> As far as I'm concerned they got two poachers for the price of one. Like father like son. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.



What do you mean by this?


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## Lordofallthatswims (Jan 28, 2008)

The man's father drove the getaway vehicle making him an accomplice.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Lordofallthatswims said:


> The man's father drove the getaway vehicle making him an accomplice.



And he even admitted to it..........:sad: some family trees have no branches so to speak.....


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## slabstar (Feb 25, 2009)

i.m.o. the fines are meager compared to what sturgeon eggs n fillet might sell for in a shiek chinese resteraunt...20-30,000$, remember, they didnt recover the fish...no problem turning oneself in for after turning a profit like that....and losing the licenses for a poacher is not much of a big deal, at least they got him though....


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## Lordofallthatswims (Jan 28, 2008)

I don't know what the circumstances are that made him do what he did, but I would have to think this guy is just an a-hole, has always been an a-hole, and will continue to be an a-hole. Whatever petty satisfaction we get from his penalty should be short-lived. This is a family tradition, your not going to stop it with SMALL fines and SHORT term jail time.


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