Three sentenced for illegal big game hunts

Three men have been sentenced to five years of probation for violation of the Lacey Act and other federal laws for conspiring to provide illegal big game hunts in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

As part of their sentence, Casey Richardson, 48, of Huson, MT; Jeffrey Harris, 45, of Bainbridge Island, WA, and Dale Lackner, 74 of Haines, are prohibited from any hunting or to assist in any hunting during their probation, to perform over 100 hours each of community service, and to assist in providing and paying for public service announcements which would include a statement about the importance of understanding and following hunting laws and regulations.

The court ordered that restitution be made to the Department of Interior Restoration Fund on behalf of the National Park Service and to the state of Alaska in the amounts of $14,000 by Richardson, $26,000 by Harris and $6,000 by Lackner. In addition, Richardson and Harris were each sentenced to serve three months in a halfway house followed by three months of home confinement, and Lackner was sentenced to six months of home confinement. During the periods of home confinement, all three will be on electronic monitoring.

The illegal hunts took place at Ptarmigan Lake Lodge, which is owned by Urban Rahoi of Fairbanks and was permitted to operate as a concessionaire in the park to provide sport hunting guide services. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner recently reported that Rahoi, a local legend as a pilot, big game guide and real estate developer, celebrated his 100th birthday. The article did not mention that on July 5, 2016 the National Park Service suspended Rahoi’s concession contract pending the outcome of a criminal investigation into multiple illegal bait site locations maintained by his lodge in 2014 and 2015 that used the artificial sweetener Xylitol, which is toxic to canines and birds and was used to poison wolves and bears. The National Park Service also directed Rahoi to refund all hunt clients who may have been booked for the 2016 and 2017 hunt seasons.

Richardson, Harris and Lackner had pleaded guilty to several violations of the Lacey Act and other federal laws. The Lacey Act, which passed in 1900, was the first federal law protecting wildlife. It enforces civil and criminal penalties for the illegal trade of animals and plants, and notably prohibits trade of wildlife, fish and plants taken illegally, possessed, transported or sold.

According to court documents, a federal investigation began in December 2015 after Alaska Wildlife Troopers’ wildlife investigations unit received an anonymous letter indicating illegal hunting activities were occurring at Ptarmigan Lake Lodge, which lies within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

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During the 2014 and 2015 hunting seasons, out-of-state hunters illegally hunted and killed Dall sheep at the lodge without being accompanied by a registered guide. In 2014, court records showed that an out-of-state hunter at the lodge guided by Harris killed a Dall sheep and Harris falsified the hunt record to indicate the hunt was conducted by a registered guide. Also, at the lodge in 2014 Harris killed two brown bears without a guide present and without possessing a harvest ticket or locking tag for either bear. One of those bears was harvested out of season and the hunt record was falsified. Also, in 2014 Richardson conspired with Lackner to harvest a Dall sheep at the lodge and Lackner falsified the state sheep harvest report indicating he harvested the sheep and later transported the sheep to Richardson in Montana.

In 2015, Richardson guided three out-of-state hunters on three separate hunts at the lodge, with all three hunters killing Dall sheep. Harris falsified two of the hunt records to indicate the hunts were conducted by registered guides and Lackner falsified the third hunt record to indicate that hunt was conducted by a registered guide.

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