Robert W. Fabick, of St. Louis, Missouri, pled guilty last week in federal court to misdemeanor charges for creating and using a fraudulent stamp in order to circumvent the lottery draw process at the Duck Creek Waterfowl Draw on the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Stoddard County. Fabick appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Abbie Crites-Leoni at the Rush H. Limbaugh, Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for his plea on March 31, 2016.
Conservation officials previously implemented a lottery draw process for waterfowl hunting at Duck Creek in order to accommodate heavy demand during peak times of the waterfowl hunting season. The process requires prospective hunters to arrive early in the morning to register for the lottery. If a hunter’s name is picked during the draw, conservation officials use an official stamp to mark their hunting pass and they are granted the privilege of hunting waterfowl on the grounds for the day.
On the morning of Dec. 16, 2014, conservation officials investigated a complaint that Fabick had fired a shot several minutes before legal shooting hours were scheduled to begin. When confronted by officials, Fabick turned over a stamped hunting pass. During the course of the investigation, officials discovered that Fabick had not registered for the lottery draw that morning. Fabick later admitted that he used a fraudulent stamp to mark his hunting pass. Fabick told officials that he arranged to have the fraudulent stamp manufactured so that he could bypass the lottery draw process for waterfowl hunting. Fabick explained that he became frustrated in the past when his name was not picked during the draw and he wanted to guarantee that he could hunt on the property.
As part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Fabick is subject to a complete revocation of all hunting privileges on both public and private lands for a period of three (3) years. Fabick was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 for using the fraudulent stamp and a fine of $100 for attempting to take migratory birds before lawful shooting hours.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
