Two Plead Guilty to Poaching $12,988 Trophy Buck

First case in Ohio involving new restitution value for white-tailed deer

Chillicothe, OH - Two men convicted of the illegal taking of white-tailed deer have been ordered to pay restitution of $12,988 according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

The Honorable Judge Thomas E. Bunch presided and assistant law director Michele Route prosecuted today over the first case in the State involving white-tailed deer restitution under Ohio's revised restitution law. The law went into effect March 2008 and allows the Ohio Division of Wildlife to seek an increased recovery value on all illegally harvested wildlife.

Cory A. Posey, 19, of South Salem has pled guilty to charges of taking a deer with a rifle, deterring an officer, taking a deer after hours, and taking more than one buck in a license year. Posey will pay $100 in fines, additional court costs, and $6,494 in restitution. He will serve 200 hours of community service, five years of community control and hunting privileges suspended for five years.

Kyle E. Kruger, 20, of Washington Court House has pled guilty to charges of spotlighting, deterring an officer, and aiding an individual in the unlawful taking of a wild animal. Kruger will pay $100 in fines, additional court costs, and $6,494 in restitution. He will serve 200 hours of community service, five years of community control and hunting privileges suspended for five years.

In addition to fines, restitution, license suspension and community service, the deer, firearms, and all other equipment used in the illegal activities were ordered forfeit. All venison was forfeited and will be donated to a local food pantry.

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