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Shreveport Man Sentenced for Wildlife Trafficking in East Texas
A 57-year-old Shreveport man has been sentenced to pay over $14,000 in restitution and serve 48 hours of community service for federal wildlife violations in the Eastern District of Texas.
Stephen Anderson Sipes Jr. pleaded guilty on June 10, 2013, to negligent transportation of wildlife and was sentenced today by U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.
According to information presented in court, Sipes had an ownership interest in a high-fence ranch in Sanderson, Texas. On January 14, 2010, Sipes transported and possessed 14 live, illegally imported whitetail deer valued at over $350 each from Carthage, Missouri to the ranch in Sanderson, which is prohibited by Texas law.
The fair market value of the illegally imported whitetail deer was approximately $5,650. This case was investigated by the Special Operations Unit of the Texas Parks and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.
The restitution of $14,016.49 will be paid to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation to compensate the agency for costs incurred in protecting the native deer from the threat of disease carried by the Missouri whitetails.
A two-year probated sentence was handed down to Sipes, with 48 hours of community service as conditions. This sentence is a stark reminder of the consequences faced by those who engage in wildlife trafficking.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has been working tirelessly to protect the native deer population, and this sentence is a significant step towards that goal.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Wildlife Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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