Terry Foster, Wildlife Poisoning, Georgia 2018

A Georgia man has been sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine for using a restricted pesticide to bait and kill coyotes.

Terry Foster, 54, of Blairsville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”) by lacing deer carcasses with a highly poisonous pesticide.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Foster's actions threatened Georgia's wildlife and environment for his own personal benefit.

“Foster’s conduct threatened Georgia's wildlife and environment for his own personal benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.

“The defendant knowingly misused an acutely toxic pesticide to poison wildlife,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Carfagno of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division in Atlanta.

The EPA-approved labels for Golden Malrin Fly Killer state that it is “for use around the outside of food processing areas.” In particular, the labeling warns that: “It is illegal to use this product with the intention to kill raccoons, skunks, opossums, coyotes, wolves, dogs, cats, or any other non-target species.”

Foster admitted during his guilty plea that he had laced the deer carcasses with Golden Malrin for the purpose of killing coyotes.

As a result, an opossum and two red-tailed hawks died after ingesting methomyl-laced deer.

Terry Foster was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher C. Bly to pay a $1,000 fine on February 20, 2020.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/georgia-man-pleads-guilty-using-restricted-pesticide-bait-and-kill-coyotes