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Colorado Couple Pleads Guilty to Bobcat Poaching and Firearms Violations
A shocking case of wildlife crime has come to light in Colorado, as a couple has pleaded guilty to charges related to the illegal trapping and sale of bobcats. Jeffrey M. Bodnar, 37, and his wife Veronica Anderson-Bodnar, 46, both residents of Hartsel, Colorado, were arrested in connection with the case.
The Lacey Act, a federal law, prohibits the transportation or sale of wildlife taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of state law or regulation. Bobcats, including their pelts and other parts, are considered wildlife under the Lacey Act.
Jeffrey Bodnar pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, and one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon. His wife, Veronica Anderson-Bodnar, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of Lacey Act trafficking and one misdemeanor count of making false statements in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Bodnar admitted to conspiring with his wife to unlawfully trap and kill bobcats without a license and using prohibited leghold traps in violation of Colorado law. He also admitted to selling the bobcat pelts to fur buyers in Montana and Kansas, and conspiring with his wife to submit false records to the Colorado Division of Wildlife in order to obtain tags for the pelts.
Veronica Anderson-Bodnar admitted to selling bobcat pelts to a buyer from Kansas in March 2008, when she should have known that the bobcats were trapped without a license and using prohibited leghold traps. She also admitted to making and submitting false records to the Colorado Division of Wildlife in order to obtain tags for the pelts.
Jeffrey Bodnar is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2010. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge, and a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and $250,000 fine for the firearms charge. His wife, Veronica Anderson-Bodnar, is also scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2010. She faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine on each count. The government will recommend to the court that she be sentenced to five years of probation during which time she will be prohibited from possessing firearms and also prohibited from hunting, trapping, or fishing, or accompanying anyone hunting, trapping, or fishing, anywhere in the United States.
Both defendants reside in Hartsel, Colorado. The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section.
Jeffrey M. Bodnar, Defendant: Jeffrey M. Bodnar, Real full name, City: Hartsel, State: Colorado, Exact date: Not specified, Sentence or outcome: Scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2010, Prison time: Five years, Fine: $250,000, Firearms charge: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine.
Veronica Anderson-Bodnar, Defendant: Veronica Anderson-Bodnar, Real full name, City: Hartsel, State: Colorado, Exact date: Not specified, Sentence or outcome: Scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2010, Prison time: One year, Fine: $100,000, Probation: Five years of probation during which time she will be prohibited from possessing firearms and also prohibited from hunting, trapping, or fishing, or accompanying anyone hunting, trapping, or fishing, anywhere in the United States.
Key Facts
- State: Colorado
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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