Meat Rustlers Indicted

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Eight indicted for allegedly skimming over 700 pounds of meat from hunters in Gallia County

by WSYX Staff
Thursday, October 21st 2021



COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Eight people were indicted on over 90 criminal counts last week for an alleged illegal poaching operation in Gallia County, the Ohio Attorney General's Office says.

According to Attorney General Dave Yost, the group operated as A&E Deer Processing.

Authorities say the group poached 30 Ohio white-tailed deer and skimmed more than 700 pounds of meat from deer that hunters paid to have processed by the business.

A&E Deer Processing then allegedly sold the stolen meat for a profit.

“Deer hunting is a deep-rooted tradition in Ohio, with generations having been taught the values of conservation, responsibility and discipline,” Yost said. “This level of corruption violates those tenets, and protecting and preserving this part of our heritage are important to all sportsmen and -women.”

A grand jury indicted the group on the following charges on Oct. 14, 2021:

Aaron L. Jones, 32, of Thurman:

Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1), complicity to telecommunications fraud (F4), tampering with records (F3), theft (F5), receiving (disposing of) stolen property (F5), complicity to falsification (F5), money laundering (F3), illegal sale of wild animal parts (F5), possession of untagged deer parts (M3), possession of untagged deer meat (M3), over bag limit of antlered deer taken in a season (M3), providing false data when game checking a deer (two counts, M3), jacklighting (M3)
Brittney E. Marcum, 31, of Thurman:

Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1), telecommunications fraud (F4), complicity to tampering with records (F3), complicity to theft (F5), complicity to receiving (disposing of) stolen property (F5), falsification (F5), complicity to money laundering (F3), complicity to illegal sale of wild animal parts (F5), possession of untagged deer parts (M3), possession of untagged deer meat (M3), providing false data when game checking a deer (M3)
Randy L. Jones Jr., 64, of Thurman:

Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1), complicity to telecommunications fraud (F4), complicity to tampering with records (F3), complicity to theft (F5), complicity to receiving (disposing of) stolen property (F5), complicity to falsification (F5), complicity to money laundering (F3), complicity to illegal sale of wild animal parts (F5), possession of untagged deer parts (M3), possession of untagged deer meat (M3), possession of untagged turkey parts (M4), receiving stolen property – firearm (F4), over bag limits of antlered deer taken in a season (M3), attached antlerless game check confirmation number to antlered deer (M3), providing false data when game checking a deer (M3)
Charlotte F. Jones, 63, of Thurman:

Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1), complicity to telecommunications fraud (F4), complicity to tampering with records (F3), complicity to theft (F5), complicity to receiving (disposing of) stolen property (F5), complicity to falsification (F5), complicity to money laundering (F3), complicity to illegal sale of wild animal parts (F5), possession of untagged deer parts (M3), possession of untagged deer meat (M3), possession of untagged turkey parts (M4), receiving stolen property – firearm (F4), providing false data when game checking a deer (M3)
James E. Copley, 58, of Thurman:

Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1), complicity to theft (F5), complicity to money laundering (F3), complicity to illegal sale of wild animal parts (F5), tampering with records (F3), theft (F5), possession of untagged deer parts (M3), possession of untagged deer meat (M3), unlawful possession of a dangerous ordnance (F5), aiding a wildlife offender: accepting deer without a game check (M3), providing false data when game checking a deer (M3), hunting deer with an illegal hunting implement (M3), providing false data when game checking a deer (three counts, M3), hunting deer with an illegal hunting implement (M3)
Justin M. Wells, 36, of Thurman:

Theft (F5), failure to game check a deer (five counts, M3), over bag limit of deer taken in a season (M3), possession of untagged deer parts (M3), possession of untagged turkey parts (M4), jacklighting (M3)
William C. Gilbert, 27, of Thurman:

Tampering with records (F3), grand theft (F4), possession of untagged deer parts (M3), possession of untagged deer meat (M3), jacklighting (M3), hunting deer with an illegal hunting implement (two counts, M3), failure to game check a deer (M3), jacklighting (M3), failure to game check a deer (M3)
Justin F. Butterfield, 23, of Brice:

Theft (F5), failure to game check a deer (M3)
 
It happens, a few get caught, hard to prove on your own. Must have gotten law enforcement involved and done some drop off weight checks and pick up weight checks to prove enough disparity to get a warrant.
 
I was wondering also who would buy it. The sale of wild meat is illegal in every state. There is plenty of beef in Ohio. They may have been mixing it with something else
 
Appalachian, acorn fed whitetail is my favorite game meat.
Havent had anything better,,,,it even beats Gemsbok.
 
I was wondering also who would buy it. The sale of wild meat is illegal in every state. There is plenty of beef in Ohio. They may have been mixing it with something else
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Also, I believe any meat that is sold commercially needs to be inspected by the proper authorities.
 
I had this very same thing happen to me in Utah I got back one grocery bag of meat from a 180 pound deer dropped off that was lung shot.
We got into an very big fight over this and then I asked where do you get the meat from for your samples you have out here? I told him to go back and find my meat. I threatened them to call the fish and game. They went back and came back with two more bags of meat. I wonder who's meat it was?
Unscrupulous bast---ds
 
Also, I believe any meat that is sold commercially needs to be inspected by the proper authorities.

Depends on the state regs. For most, the sell of wild game is illegal. As far as commercial, some states, if the transaction is in the state, all you need is a HACCP plan and any requirements that meet state environmental and health department.
 
Right now with the high price of beef, pork, chicken, it would be very easy to sell game meat at a price that is cheaper then store bought meat.
During my patrol days I had one Indian poacher in my hill beat that was shooting several deer per week, out of season, and selling the meat to locals in his area. Then he got stupid and started shooting to many deer and allowing the meat go to waste. Several Indian informants turned him in to me and we ended up arresting him every time he turned around. He ticked off the local Indians by wasting the meat which was against their traditions.

RELH
 

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