Wildlife Officer Allen Wright fired/pleads guilty

[Duke]

Friday, February 24, 2012

(LATEST UPDATE) Allan Wright pleads guilty in federal court
Allan Wright, 45, of Russellville and the former state wildlife officer assigned to Brown County, pleaded guilty in United States District Court/Southern District of Ohio today (Friday) to violating the Lacey Act by trafficking in and making false records for illegally harvested white-tailed deer.

The announcement was made this afternoon (Friday) by the U.S. Justice Department.

Newly received court documents say that Wright entered guilty pleas to all four counts.

It is important to note that a felony conviction of a felony count has possible severe consequences for a person who is also a hunter and firearms’ owner. If an individual is convicted of a felony that person cannot own, possess or use a firearm, even for such activities as target shooting, firearms collection, personal protection or hunting.

The Justice Department says in its press release that “Wright committed the Lacey Act crimes while he was employed as a wildlife officer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.”

The release is available for viewing at:


Former Ohio Wildlife Officer convicted of trafficking in white-tailed deer
Wright’s employment as a wildlife officer was terminated after he was indicted in August 2011, The Justice Department said.

And as part of his plea agreement, Wright has agreed not to appeal his termination, says the Justice Department as well.

Likewise as part his plea, says the Justice Department, Wright admitted that, using his authority as a wildlife officer, he sold a resident Ohio hunting license to a non-resident hunter in 2006.

“That hunter used the illegal Ohio resident hunting license to kill three white-tailed deer. As part of his plea,

Wright admitted that he ‘checked in’ those deer by providing a false Ohio residence address for the non-resident hunter in order to make it appear that the deer were killed by an Ohio resident.

“After the deer were checked in, the non-resident hunter transported them in interstate commerce from Ohio to South Carolina,” the Justice Department said.

Also as part of his plea, Wright admitted that, “using his authority as a wildlife officer,” he seized white-tailed deer antlers from a hunter who had killed a deer illegally in 2009, the Justice Department said.

“Wright admitted that, rather than disposing of the antlers through court proceedings, as required by Ohio law, he knowingly supplied them to another individual who transported them from Ohio to Michigan,” the Justice Department says.

Another condition of his plea, “Wright admitted that he filed an official state form, which falsely reported that he had personally destroyed those antlers,” the Justice Department said.

The presiding federal judge in the case - Michael Barrett - has ordered a presentencing investigation report. This report is due May 7, court documents say. At that point another court appearance will be required where Wright faces sentencing.

He can receive a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine per count, says the Justice Department.

By way of review, Wright was under indictment for felony and misdemeanor violations of the federal government’s Lacey Act.

Wright agreed to state complaints that in 2006 he allowed a South Carolina wildlife officer to use his Ohio address to obtain a resident state hunting license.

He subsequently was given a written reprimand which was eventually expunged. That action set in legal motion charges being brought against five current or retired Ohio Division of Wildlife officials.

However, Wright had been reinstated to his Wildlife Division post, only to be placed on unpaid administrative leave last August when he was charged in federal court for the alleged Lacey Act infractions.

The matter involving the five current and former Wildlife Division officials remains open before the Brown County Court of Appeals.

In a ruling announced last month by the five-member 12th District Court of Appeals the five felony-indicted officials are not protected by the so-called “Garrity Rule.”

This legal fiat protects certain government employees from testifying on matters if they believe doing so would jeopardize their jobs.

The defendants’ attorneys said the rule applied to their clients, a position accepted by Brown County Common Pleas Court judge Scott Gusweiler.

However, Brown County prosecutor Jessica A. Little took issue with that ruling and appealed Gusweiler’s opinion before the state’s 12th District Court of Appeals.

Little won the legal support of the appellate judges.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

[Duke]

FInally the end of the trail for this corrupt officer. I followed this case for a long time. He is paying a heavy penalty for his actions. He agreed not to pursue his position as part of his plea. And as a felon he will not be able to hunt or own guns......much worse of a penallty than a fine or jail time in my book.

[Buckshot101]

And as a felon he will not be able to hunt or own guns......much worse of a penallty than a fine or jail time in my book.

You mean "And as a felon he will not be able to LEGALLY hunt or own guns." -- No way do I think it is worse than jail time with a fine. It was already proved and he admitted to being rogue............so now he cannot legally hunt or own a gun............hell, what he was convicted of was illegal and that didn't stop him or prevent him from doing it..........or tons of other felons who carry firearms even though it is "ILLEGAl" for them to do so.

He deserves the max..........rogue hunters and those in authority hunting positions that have gone rogue cause all of us honest hunters undue negative propaganda that the ANTI's use in their agendas.

[Duke]

Valid point Buckshot. I guess I was looking at the punishment from my point of view.

Interesting enough is the fact that after fighting his indictment for years, that he pleaded so readily in the end to all counts. I wouldnt be surprised to see him testifying against those who tried to cover his crimes, to get leniency in sentenceing. The remaining 4 or 5 officers that are under indicment cant feel comfortable after this.

[Duke]

And just when you think they are cleaning their acts up.



Thursday, March 1, 2012

Inspector General finds wrong-doing by another ODW officer

Another Ohio Division of Wildlife officer was investigated last year by the Ohio Inspector General, this time for the alleged confiscation and destruction of “...deer antlers unlawfully (taken) from an individual who had legally obtained them.”

The matter is referred to in the just-released Ohio Inspector General’s 2011 Annual Report.

In the summary of its Wildlife Division investigation, the Ohio Inspector General says that on Nov. 24, 2009, Guernsey County resident Jeffrey Schultice was archery hunting on his property when he encountered the remains of a badly decomposed 11-point.

Leaving the carcass where it lay, the report says, Schultice made telephone calls to Wildlife Division officers Brad St. Clair and Roby Williams, neither of whom returned his calls.

Only after Schultice contacted the agency’s Southeast Ohio District Office, complaining that he had not been contacted did St. Clair respond, the Ohio Inspector General’s report says.

At that point St. Clair contacted Schultice who was informed that issuing a receipt for the deer antlers was a low priority and that it could take weeks to process.

Schultice then called the Guernsey County Sheriff’s office which ultimately issued a Wildlife Division deer carcass receipt, the Inspector General’s investigative report says.

Two days later, the report also says, St. Clair told Schultice that he wanted to see the antlers. Upon visiting Schultice at his home, the investigative report says, St. Clair expressed his doubts as to how the antler set was obtained.

St Clair then proceeded to confiscate the set of antlers.

The Ohio Inspector General’s report further goes on to say that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources “...had no record of the antlers being logged in as evidence or recovered property, and there was no official record of destruction or disposition of the antlers, as required by department policy.”

Even so, says the report, a hand receipt indicated that the antlers were destroyed on Dec. 23, 2009.

“Additionally, the 2009 property seized/forfeited form by Officer St. Clair did not list the antlers he (had) seized from Schultice.”

“Our investigation found that the Ohio Division of Wildlife Officer Brad St. Clair, without cause, improperly confiscated and disposed of legally obtained property and failed to record the seizure and destruction of property on the annual report as required by department policy...”

The final notation in the Ohio Inspector General’s 2011 Annual Report indicated that Schultice filed a complaint with the Court of Claims of Ohio for the antlers.

He ultimately accepted a $5,000 settlement agreement with the Natural Resources Department, the report says in conclusion.

Wildlife Division chief Scott Zody also indicated in an email sent to him that St. Clair “received a written reprimand.”

“A verbal or written reprimand remains ‘on record’ for one year...Officer St. Clair was disciplined last year, so it would still be active,” Zody said as well.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald,.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

[Duke]

In my opinion this officer just stole these antlers either to have them or sell them...... ridiculous and out of control. And he gets a written reprimand that he can wipe his butt with.

And we as tax payers pay for his actions to the tune of $5,000.00 Wow really ODW!!!!

[Duke]

Reading another article recently I realized that Wright gave 15 pairs of antlers to one Game Warden in Michigan alone...... Wright will probably get leniency at hi hearing as this story is growing legs. Who is the Michigan Game Warden and is he now involved in Lacey act violations. If Wright gave 15 pair of antlers to one guy I wonder how many he gave away they never found out about?