Alleged poachers charged with illegally killing nearly 100 turkeys
Published 2:06 pm Sunday, March 15, 2020
Three people from Wesson and one from Brookhaven have been charged with more than 200 wildlife violations — including illegally killing nearly 100 turkeys — following an 11-month investigation by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
The four people arrested were:
• Kenneth Ray Britt, 39, of Wesson; charged with 142 wildlife violations.
• Tony Grant Smith, 25, of Wesson; charged with 68 wildlife violations.
• Allen Shelton Morgan, 48, of Brookhaven; charged with 28 violations.
• Breanna Jeanine McKay, 26, of Wesson; charged with five violations.
This group is believed to be responsible for poaching nearly 100 turkeys and trespassing on 15 in Lincoln, Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson and Claiborne counties during the 2019 season, said Josh Carver with the MDWFP.
The investigation resulted in about 280 wildlife violation issued to 14 individuals and it was during the investigation the illegal activities were not limited to Mississippi.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is also conducting an investigation of the illegal out-of-state hunts.
“This is the most blatant disregard for Mississippi’s conservation laws I have seen in my thirty-three years of service with this Agency,” said Col. Steve Adcock. “The primary mission of the MDWFP Law Enforcement Bureau is to detect and hold accountable those persons who jeopardize our rich hunting heritage by committing lawless acts such as these.”