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Outfitters charged in FWP sting
By BRETT FRENCH
Of The Gazette Staff
The owner of a national outfitting business faces two felony charges after being arrested in Sweet Grass County last week.
Dean Langton, 39, owner of PanAngling/
PanHunting, was charged Nov. 20 with unlawful possession of wildlife and outfitting without a license. The charges stemmed from an undercover sting operation conducted by Fish, Wildlife and Parks criminal investigator Jeff Scott.
In addition to Langton's arrest, Tyler South, 33, of Naples, Fla., was arrested on the same two felony counts. Bond for each man was set at $25,000. Langton and South are scheduled to appear for an initial appearance in Sweet Grass County Justice Court at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10. Although Langton's address was listed in court documents as 489 Lower Deer Creek Road, the state contends that he is not a resident of Montana.
The Deer Creek residence, southeast of Big Timber, is where Langton, Tyler and seven Georgia hunters were arrested. The Georgians face misdemeanor charges of retaining the use or services of an unlawful outfitter. All of the men posted bond.
The seven Georgians charged with misdemeanors of retaining the use of an unlicensed outfitter and fined $385 were Russell J. Rhoden, 33, of Reidsville, Ga.; two counts against Levi Harry Smith, 18, of Claxton, Ga.; two counts against Daniel Sikes, 36, of Claxton, Ga.; George B. Blocker, 44, of Glenville, Ga.; two counts against Lee H. Smith, 59, of Claxton, Ga; Louis H. Geiger, 65, of Glenville, Ga.; and two counts against Lee W. Burkhalter, 37, of Claxton, Ga. In addition, Levi Smith was charged with hunting without a valid license and assessed $500 for restitution and $535 for bond. The court scheduled an appearance date of Dec. 3 for the men.
"We've been investigating the whole issue for over a year," said Harold Guse, warden captain in Billings' Region 5.
He said the agency was tipped off by area residents.
"I have no idea how long they've been operating (unlawfully)," Guse said. "We have a lot to figure out yet."
As the investigation continues, Guse said it's likely that more charges will be filed.
"The commercial aspect is so involved," Guse said. "It's one of the more involved cases to try and figure out what all occurred."
According to court documents, Langton was in possession of numerous unlawfully taken big-game animals, including a 4x4 whitetail buck killed without a license by Levi Smith; a trophy 9x5 mule deer buck killed without a license by Blocker; a 6x5 mule deer buck killed without a license by nonresident Shane Sikes; a 5x5 mule deer buck killed without a license by Rhoden; two whitetail does killed without a license by nonresidents Alex Nash and a friend; a trophy 7x7 bull elk killed without a valid license by Langton; a whitetail doe killed without a valid license by Langton; and a 4x4 whitetail buck killed without a valid license by Langton. In total, the restitution for the unlawfully taken big-game animals was calculated at $19,100.
Langton also faces the charge of outfitting without a license after taking an undercover investigator on deer hunts Oct. 5-11 and Nov. 9-13. In addition, he's accused of outfitting seven nonresident Georgia clients for a hunt Nov. 14-20. The approximate cost of the hunts per client was $2,500.
Also charged with felony outfitting without a license was South, who took undercover investigators deer hunting Oct. 5-11 and again Nov. 9-13, according to court documents.
South also faces a charge of felony unlawful possession of wildlife, including a 4x4 mule deer buck shoulder mount killed without a license by South in 2006; a 6x6 bull elk killed without a valid license by South in September; a 5x5 mule deer buck killed without a valid license by South in October; a whitetail doe killed without a valid license by South in October; a 9x5 trophy class mule deer killed without a license by Blocker; a 6x5 mule deer buck killed without a valid license by Sikes; a 5x5 mule deer buck killed without a license by Rhoden; and two Merriams turkeys killed unlawfully by Rhoden. In total, the restitution value of the game was calculated to be $11,850.
According to its Web site, PanAngling/PanHunting has been in operation for 25 years as an adventure travel company, featuring destinations around the world. The business was founded by Pat Galyan, an Indiana sporting-goods retailer. Langton bought the outfitting business in 2001 after it went bankrupt.
According to The Hunting Report newsletter, Langton had previously owned Willow Creek Lodge in Alaska, Onstream Outfitters and Alaska Angling Expeditions.
In a 2002 Associated Press story about the PanAngling/PanHunting's move to Jonesboro, Maine, Langton is quoted as saying the company would generate $10 million in revenue and create two dozen jobs in Maine within three years.
Jim Kropp, chief of law enforcement for FWP, said Langton is "definitely somebody we don't want operating in this manner in Montana. The citizens of Montana don't have to tolerate this level of abuse to our resources."
Such in-depth investigations are possible for FWP now that it has six criminal investigators around the state and a half-time special prosecutor from the attorney general's office. The first two criminal investigators were hired in 2005.
"Without the investigators, these cases would be extremely difficult for a warden to conduct," Guse said. "This investigation was larger than average in terms of manpower necessary."
Such investigations are more common now that each of Montana's seven Fish, Wildlife and Parks regions has or shares an investigator.
"Typically, we'll have four or five major takedowns emanating from those investigations each year," Kropp said. "But it's really variable as far as what's going on and how long it takes to figure it out and work in on (the operation)."
Kropp said one of the problems investigators encounter is when the violations take place on private lands.
"These guys were utilizing landowner licenses as part of their scam," Kropp said.
In Montana, there are two types of landowner licenses - landowner preference and landowner sponsor. Under the landowner preference, 15 percent of each hunting district's quota for deer B and antelope licenses and for deer permits is set aside for landowners owning, or contracting to purchase, 160 acres or more of land used primarily for agriculture. In addition, 15 percent of each hunting district's quota for elk licenses and permits is set aside for landowners owning, or contracting to purchase, 640 or more acres of land used by elk in that hunting district.
Under landowner-sponsored licenses, 2,000 nonresident deer combination licenses are set aside for deer hunters sponsored by Montana landowners to hunt deer on the sponsor's deeded land. Landowners who own 640 or more contiguous acres are eligible to sponsor hunters. Licenses are distributed equally, up to two sponsored hunters per landowner, before the remaining licenses are issued in a random drawing.
"The quicker we can shut these down, the sooner we can terminate them at a smaller scale," Kropp said. "It often starts out with a few violations, and as they get more comfortable it involves a lot of folks and a lot of animals. We try not to let them run very long because the situation will manifest itself and get worse."
By BRETT FRENCH
Of The Gazette Staff
The owner of a national outfitting business faces two felony charges after being arrested in Sweet Grass County last week.
Dean Langton, 39, owner of PanAngling/
PanHunting, was charged Nov. 20 with unlawful possession of wildlife and outfitting without a license. The charges stemmed from an undercover sting operation conducted by Fish, Wildlife and Parks criminal investigator Jeff Scott.
In addition to Langton's arrest, Tyler South, 33, of Naples, Fla., was arrested on the same two felony counts. Bond for each man was set at $25,000. Langton and South are scheduled to appear for an initial appearance in Sweet Grass County Justice Court at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10. Although Langton's address was listed in court documents as 489 Lower Deer Creek Road, the state contends that he is not a resident of Montana.
The Deer Creek residence, southeast of Big Timber, is where Langton, Tyler and seven Georgia hunters were arrested. The Georgians face misdemeanor charges of retaining the use or services of an unlawful outfitter. All of the men posted bond.
The seven Georgians charged with misdemeanors of retaining the use of an unlicensed outfitter and fined $385 were Russell J. Rhoden, 33, of Reidsville, Ga.; two counts against Levi Harry Smith, 18, of Claxton, Ga.; two counts against Daniel Sikes, 36, of Claxton, Ga.; George B. Blocker, 44, of Glenville, Ga.; two counts against Lee H. Smith, 59, of Claxton, Ga; Louis H. Geiger, 65, of Glenville, Ga.; and two counts against Lee W. Burkhalter, 37, of Claxton, Ga. In addition, Levi Smith was charged with hunting without a valid license and assessed $500 for restitution and $535 for bond. The court scheduled an appearance date of Dec. 3 for the men.
"We've been investigating the whole issue for over a year," said Harold Guse, warden captain in Billings' Region 5.
He said the agency was tipped off by area residents.
"I have no idea how long they've been operating (unlawfully)," Guse said. "We have a lot to figure out yet."
As the investigation continues, Guse said it's likely that more charges will be filed.
"The commercial aspect is so involved," Guse said. "It's one of the more involved cases to try and figure out what all occurred."
According to court documents, Langton was in possession of numerous unlawfully taken big-game animals, including a 4x4 whitetail buck killed without a license by Levi Smith; a trophy 9x5 mule deer buck killed without a license by Blocker; a 6x5 mule deer buck killed without a license by nonresident Shane Sikes; a 5x5 mule deer buck killed without a license by Rhoden; two whitetail does killed without a license by nonresidents Alex Nash and a friend; a trophy 7x7 bull elk killed without a valid license by Langton; a whitetail doe killed without a valid license by Langton; and a 4x4 whitetail buck killed without a valid license by Langton. In total, the restitution for the unlawfully taken big-game animals was calculated at $19,100.
Langton also faces the charge of outfitting without a license after taking an undercover investigator on deer hunts Oct. 5-11 and Nov. 9-13. In addition, he's accused of outfitting seven nonresident Georgia clients for a hunt Nov. 14-20. The approximate cost of the hunts per client was $2,500.
Also charged with felony outfitting without a license was South, who took undercover investigators deer hunting Oct. 5-11 and again Nov. 9-13, according to court documents.
South also faces a charge of felony unlawful possession of wildlife, including a 4x4 mule deer buck shoulder mount killed without a license by South in 2006; a 6x6 bull elk killed without a valid license by South in September; a 5x5 mule deer buck killed without a valid license by South in October; a whitetail doe killed without a valid license by South in October; a 9x5 trophy class mule deer killed without a license by Blocker; a 6x5 mule deer buck killed without a valid license by Sikes; a 5x5 mule deer buck killed without a license by Rhoden; and two Merriams turkeys killed unlawfully by Rhoden. In total, the restitution value of the game was calculated to be $11,850.
According to its Web site, PanAngling/PanHunting has been in operation for 25 years as an adventure travel company, featuring destinations around the world. The business was founded by Pat Galyan, an Indiana sporting-goods retailer. Langton bought the outfitting business in 2001 after it went bankrupt.
According to The Hunting Report newsletter, Langton had previously owned Willow Creek Lodge in Alaska, Onstream Outfitters and Alaska Angling Expeditions.
In a 2002 Associated Press story about the PanAngling/PanHunting's move to Jonesboro, Maine, Langton is quoted as saying the company would generate $10 million in revenue and create two dozen jobs in Maine within three years.
Jim Kropp, chief of law enforcement for FWP, said Langton is "definitely somebody we don't want operating in this manner in Montana. The citizens of Montana don't have to tolerate this level of abuse to our resources."
Such in-depth investigations are possible for FWP now that it has six criminal investigators around the state and a half-time special prosecutor from the attorney general's office. The first two criminal investigators were hired in 2005.
"Without the investigators, these cases would be extremely difficult for a warden to conduct," Guse said. "This investigation was larger than average in terms of manpower necessary."
Such investigations are more common now that each of Montana's seven Fish, Wildlife and Parks regions has or shares an investigator.
"Typically, we'll have four or five major takedowns emanating from those investigations each year," Kropp said. "But it's really variable as far as what's going on and how long it takes to figure it out and work in on (the operation)."
Kropp said one of the problems investigators encounter is when the violations take place on private lands.
"These guys were utilizing landowner licenses as part of their scam," Kropp said.
In Montana, there are two types of landowner licenses - landowner preference and landowner sponsor. Under the landowner preference, 15 percent of each hunting district's quota for deer B and antelope licenses and for deer permits is set aside for landowners owning, or contracting to purchase, 160 acres or more of land used primarily for agriculture. In addition, 15 percent of each hunting district's quota for elk licenses and permits is set aside for landowners owning, or contracting to purchase, 640 or more acres of land used by elk in that hunting district.
Under landowner-sponsored licenses, 2,000 nonresident deer combination licenses are set aside for deer hunters sponsored by Montana landowners to hunt deer on the sponsor's deeded land. Landowners who own 640 or more contiguous acres are eligible to sponsor hunters. Licenses are distributed equally, up to two sponsored hunters per landowner, before the remaining licenses are issued in a random drawing.
"The quicker we can shut these down, the sooner we can terminate them at a smaller scale," Kropp said. "It often starts out with a few violations, and as they get more comfortable it involves a lot of folks and a lot of animals. We try not to let them run very long because the situation will manifest itself and get worse."
