MADISON, WIS. - Jeffrey M. Anderson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jeremy Schreiner, 33, Durand, Wis., was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Madison for violating the Lacey Act during guided duck hunts on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge.
According to an indictment filed on April 19, 2017, Schreiner operated a guided hunting business, which included autumn guided duck hunts on the Mississippi River in the National Wildlife Refuge. Schreiner was one of three guides charged with allowing undercover U.S. Fish & Wildlife Special Agents (posing as clients) to exceed their daily bag limit of six ducks in one day, during the guided hunts. Each guide then transported by boat the illegally taken waterfowl to boat landings in western Wisconsin, in violation of the Lacey Act. The other two guides were Matt Raley and Tony Toye. All three guides pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Lacey Act violation.
Raley was sentenced on Aug. 17, 2017, and Toye was sentenced on Sept. 29, 2017, both before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker. Pursuant to the terms of their plea agreements, each of the three guides paid a $25,000 fine to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and received a two-year ban of all hunting and guiding on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge, effective immediately upon sentencing.
“It's disappointing to see that waterfowl guides who were permitted by the refuge were partaking in and encouraging illegal activities with their clients. We hope these convictions and resulting punishments will discourage this type of activity in the future," said Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Manager Sabrina Chandler.
The charges against Schreiner, Raley and Toye were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Graber.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
