Washington County man must serve 24 days in jail for poaching deer
By Stephen Hunt
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 01/07/2010 01:42:55 PM MST
A 25-year-old Washington County man charged with illegally killing seven buck mule deer was sentenced Thursday to serve 24 days in jail.
Matthew Steven Spendlove, 25, was charged last year with four class A misdemeanors and three class B misdemeanors in St. George's 5th District Court.
On Thursday, Spendlove pleaded guilty to two counts of class A misdemeanor wanton destruction of protected wildlife and the other charges were dismissed.
In addition to jail time, Judge James Shumate ordered Spendlove to pay a $2,000 fine, $2,800 in restitution and write a letter of apology addressing, among other things, the "selfishness of his act," according to a docket entry.
Although it was not addressed in court, Spendlove also could lose his hunting privileges in 31 states as part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
Spendlove has past misdemeanor convictions for exceeding the daily fish limit, driving on a suspended license and failing to obey a water marker while boating.
The poaching investigation began in November 2008 when an informant called Utah's Turn-in-a Poacher hot line and reported a deer had been killed outside of hunting season.
A search warrant served at a Hurricane home yielded seven sets of deer antlers. Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers also found photos on a cell phone, computer and a camera that provided evidence the animals were killed illegally, according to the DWR.
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Six of the bucks were killed on the Beaver Dam Mountains, known locally as Utah Hill. The other animal came from the area around Kolob Reservoir near Zion National Park. All the animals were taken over the course of a year, according to a DWR news release.
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By Stephen Hunt
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 01/07/2010 01:42:55 PM MST
A 25-year-old Washington County man charged with illegally killing seven buck mule deer was sentenced Thursday to serve 24 days in jail.
Matthew Steven Spendlove, 25, was charged last year with four class A misdemeanors and three class B misdemeanors in St. George's 5th District Court.
On Thursday, Spendlove pleaded guilty to two counts of class A misdemeanor wanton destruction of protected wildlife and the other charges were dismissed.
In addition to jail time, Judge James Shumate ordered Spendlove to pay a $2,000 fine, $2,800 in restitution and write a letter of apology addressing, among other things, the "selfishness of his act," according to a docket entry.
Although it was not addressed in court, Spendlove also could lose his hunting privileges in 31 states as part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
Spendlove has past misdemeanor convictions for exceeding the daily fish limit, driving on a suspended license and failing to obey a water marker while boating.
The poaching investigation began in November 2008 when an informant called Utah's Turn-in-a Poacher hot line and reported a deer had been killed outside of hunting season.
A search warrant served at a Hurricane home yielded seven sets of deer antlers. Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers also found photos on a cell phone, computer and a camera that provided evidence the animals were killed illegally, according to the DWR.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Six of the bucks were killed on the Beaver Dam Mountains, known locally as Utah Hill. The other animal came from the area around Kolob Reservoir near Zion National Park. All the animals were taken over the course of a year, according to a DWR news release.
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