heartlvrs
07-17-2004, 06:02 PM
Probe says hunters paid $20K to kill doped deer
Mississippian, colleague face federal charges
The Associated Press
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Unlicensed hunters were allowed to use illegal weapons while paying up to $20,000 to kill drugged deer at Indiana's largest hunting preserve, a federal grand jury said.
A federal indictment released Thursday charged Russell G. Bellar, 49, of Peru, Ind., and Hinds Tom Jones, 36, of Edwards, Miss., with 38 felonies. Each violation can result in a fine of $250,000, five years in prison or both.
The charges say 51 illegal deer hunts were allowed since January 2001 at Bellar's Place, a 1,500-acre fenced preserve near Peru, about 55 miles southwest of Fort Wayne. Bellar owns the operation, and Jones is his property manager.
The indictment said that clients, many from out of state, were unlicensed, used illegal weapons and hunted with the aid of bait. It also said clients were often allowed to choose specific deer, paying as much as $20,000 to kill the animals in an enclosed area.
The deer were often drugged, and their antlers measured before being placed into small pens where they were killed, according to the indictment. After the deer were killed, the antlers, hides and drug-contaminated meat were illegally transported, often across state boundaries.
"The case is very important as a matter of law and of ethical treatment of wildlife," said Lt. Col. Jeff Wells, executive officer for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources law enforcement division. "This was not hunting. It's just wrong."
Bellar said Thursday that although he has not seen the charges against him, he's done nothing wrong.
"I'm not a dumb man," he told The Journal Gazette. "I'm not out here intentionally trying to break the law.
"I mean, to have 38 felonies against you? My God, I may never get to vote again. Maybe that's what they want. I feel right. Honest to God, I feel right about what I've done here. I don't want to act like a criminal. I'm not a criminal. I pay my taxes and do a lot for the community. This is ridiculous what they're trying to pull."
No number was listed for Jones in Peru or Mississippi.
Joseph S. Van Bokkelen, U.S. attorney for the northern district of Indiana, said Bellar and Jones illegally sold and transported wildlife across state boundaries and lied to federal agents.
Bellar's Place is state-licensed to operate as a game-breeding facility. Deer are kept in captivity and can be bought or sold for breeding.
The license does not allow the sale of deer for hunting.
It is illegal in Indiana to sell a specific deer for hunting.
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040717/NEWS01/407170354/1002
Mississippian, colleague face federal charges
The Associated Press
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Unlicensed hunters were allowed to use illegal weapons while paying up to $20,000 to kill drugged deer at Indiana's largest hunting preserve, a federal grand jury said.
A federal indictment released Thursday charged Russell G. Bellar, 49, of Peru, Ind., and Hinds Tom Jones, 36, of Edwards, Miss., with 38 felonies. Each violation can result in a fine of $250,000, five years in prison or both.
The charges say 51 illegal deer hunts were allowed since January 2001 at Bellar's Place, a 1,500-acre fenced preserve near Peru, about 55 miles southwest of Fort Wayne. Bellar owns the operation, and Jones is his property manager.
The indictment said that clients, many from out of state, were unlicensed, used illegal weapons and hunted with the aid of bait. It also said clients were often allowed to choose specific deer, paying as much as $20,000 to kill the animals in an enclosed area.
The deer were often drugged, and their antlers measured before being placed into small pens where they were killed, according to the indictment. After the deer were killed, the antlers, hides and drug-contaminated meat were illegally transported, often across state boundaries.
"The case is very important as a matter of law and of ethical treatment of wildlife," said Lt. Col. Jeff Wells, executive officer for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources law enforcement division. "This was not hunting. It's just wrong."
Bellar said Thursday that although he has not seen the charges against him, he's done nothing wrong.
"I'm not a dumb man," he told The Journal Gazette. "I'm not out here intentionally trying to break the law.
"I mean, to have 38 felonies against you? My God, I may never get to vote again. Maybe that's what they want. I feel right. Honest to God, I feel right about what I've done here. I don't want to act like a criminal. I'm not a criminal. I pay my taxes and do a lot for the community. This is ridiculous what they're trying to pull."
No number was listed for Jones in Peru or Mississippi.
Joseph S. Van Bokkelen, U.S. attorney for the northern district of Indiana, said Bellar and Jones illegally sold and transported wildlife across state boundaries and lied to federal agents.
Bellar's Place is state-licensed to operate as a game-breeding facility. Deer are kept in captivity and can be bought or sold for breeding.
The license does not allow the sale of deer for hunting.
It is illegal in Indiana to sell a specific deer for hunting.
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040717/NEWS01/407170354/1002