CHRISTOPHER LONCARICH CASE

Transcription

1 CHRISTOPHER LONCARICH CASE

2 CHRIS LONCARICH MARVIN ELLIS CAITLIN LONCARICH (daughter) ANDIE LONCARICH (daughter)

3 UTAH LION SEASON: Limited draw from November until beginning of March (if quota not met) No requirement to take meat Ends May 31 UTAH BOBCAT SEASON: Season dates: 11/25 02/07 Limit four bobcats/person (must tag them) Can use leg hold traps

4 COLORADO LION SEASON: Open mid-november thru March 31 annually Based on quotas Over-the-counter licenses available Must pack out meat (edible portions) COLORADO BOBCAT SEASON: Open Dec. 1 thru February 28 annually No limit Over-the-counter licenses Cannot use leg hold traps (only hunt and live traps)

5 1992: Joint investigation started to look into Lacey Act violations (USFWS, CDOW, UTDWR, BLM) 1999: Violation in Utah for illegal take of a bear 2003: Information that LONCARICH (C.L.) used aircraft to assist in taking trophy elk in Utah (Andie) 2004: Reliable informant states that C.L. is treeing lions and putting traps on feet to locate them easier for his hunters later

6 2008: Utah officers see Loncarich group coming back into Colorado and follow vehicle tracks to a kill location in Utah with blood. Utah/Colorado Officers go to Loncarich residence in Mack, Colorado later the same day and find blood in driveway and quartered lion in a truck. Loncarich is cooperative at first and then says to leave or get a warrant. Officers take sample of blood in driveway before leaving. Lion blood matched in his driveway (CO) to Utah kill site

7 Winter of 2008 begin following C.LONCARICH and associates 12/22/08 - truck in Utah all day 12/23/08 truck in G.J. all day 12/24/08 Seals lion in CO - claimed killed in GMU 40 on 12/23/08

8 Between 12/25/08 & 12/31/08 truck located in Utah and Colorado 01/09/09 U.C. contacts for west slope hunt Guaranteed hunt promised for $5000 Gives answers for Mtn. Lion test 01/17/09 Caitlin checks lion from remote area of Prairie Canyon (CO) for a hunter with no license.

9 02/05/09 & 02/06/09 U.C. hunt U.C. Officer kills lion in CO and kills bobcat in UT (no license) Lion has small bullet holes in stomach and feet Bobcat with broken leg and trap marks and bullet holes Lion & bobcat shipped to USFWS lab Caitlin states she hasn t killed a lion since she was 12 years old Radios used to coordinate hunts and to avoid game wardens

10 02/20/09 Father/daughter hunters check two lions from Prairie Canyon area (1 day hunt) Both lions sealed in Colorado and reported killed the same day Kill sites located for both of these lions in Utah via DNA match Meat is in quarters Broken teeth from being caged and rub spot on forehead of lion from rubbing against cage.

11 02/22/09 USFWS & CO Officers find large cage hidden and large leg hold trap set for lions in Cottonwood Canyon, UT (1/2 mile from UC lion kill)

12 Counter-surveillance at USFWS office (C. Loncarich takes down plates of federal trucks) Loncarich puts tracking collar on lion leg hold trap in Cottonwood Canyon, Utah same day

13 Hunted west of Colorado Springs Sealed lion in Montrose after returning Claimed as his own (with ear tags) Turns out to be killed by hunter from Texas with no license.

14 Loncarich and M.Ellis went to Venezuela to hunt Jaguar (shipped dogs down - killed one): a worldwide endangered species

15 Evidence of 145 bobcats taken and checked in Colorado alone between 2005 and 2010 Homemade bear traps located in Utah Bears taken with no license and shot before release with trap on feet

16 PICTURES OF LIONS WITH TRAPS ON FEET AND HOW THEY WERE PUT ON BOBCATS TRAPPED AND HELD FOR WEEKS IN CAGES WAITING TO BE RELEASED FOR CLIENTS - shot in legs, stomach and broke legs prior to release to make chase shorter ($1500 for each bobcat kill)

17 Andie Loncarich: Pled guilty to one count of aiding and abetting in violations of the Lacey Act and trafficking and agreed to testify against her father. Sentenced to $500 fine, 36 hours of community service (18 of which must be in hunter education), 1 year probation and not allowed to hunt or be with anyone hunting during that probation sentence. Caitlin Loncarich: Pled guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting in violations of the Lacey Act and trafficking and agreed to testify against her father. Sentenced to $100 fine, 60 hours of community service (30 of which must be in hunter education), 1 year probation and not allowed to hunt or be with anyone hunting during that probation sentence.

18 Marvin Ellis: Pled guilty to one FELONY count of conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and trafficking and agreed to testify against Chris Loncarich and others. Sentenced to $3000 fine, 6 months of home detention, 3 years probation and not allowed to hunt or be with anyone hunting during that probation sentence. Forfeited truck and guns. Chris Loncarich: Pled guilty to one FELONY count of conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and trafficking. Sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, 3 years supervised release, complete drug and mental health programs and not allowed to hunt or be with anyone hunting during supervised release. Forfeited truck, guns, traps, dog equipment, etc.

19 Two other guides are still pending sentencing. Eight hunters were charged with violations of trafficking, illegal take, no license, etc. All paid fines through the mail.

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