COLUMBUS, OH -- Kenneth L. Dorsey Jr., 34, of Richmond in Jefferson County will never be allowed to hunt in the State of Ohio again after pleading guilty to more than 25 wildlife violations. Dorsey was one of 15 people charged last fall in an undercover wildlife investigation, dubbed "Operation TAG" by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. More than 100 citations were issued through this investigation, with Dorsey alone accounting for more than 25 percent of the total violations. Most of those charged in the operation received fines and penalties, while two other cases remain pending.
The charges against Dorsey ranged from illegally taking white-tailed deer by spotlighting and shooting deer in the closed season, to hunting from a motor vehicle and falsifying deer tagging records. In addition to losing his hunting privileges for life, Dorsey was ordered to pay a total of $4,770 in fines, restitution and court costs. He also spent 60 days in the Jefferson County Jail and was placed on probation for five years.
"Thanks to concerned sportsmen who were willing to provide information, this illegal activity has now been stopped," stated Dan Schneider, law enforcement administrator for the ODNR Division of Wildlife. "The Jefferson County Court should be commended for sending a strong message that this type of illegal behavior will not be tolerated in Ohio."
This investigation grew out of numerous poaching complaints from landowners and sportsmen in the Richmond area who called the ODNR Division of Wildlife's Turn in a Poacher (T.I.P.) hotline. Wildlife violations can be called into the T.I.P. hotline anonymously at 1-800-POACHER (800-762-2437).