East Idaho man gets jail, probation for poaching deer and elk
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ST. ANTHONY — An eastern Idaho man has been jailed and put on felony probation for poaching several mule deer in 2015.
Eliseo Ramirez-Angeles pleaded guilty to one felony count of unlawfully killing or wasting an animal in Fremont County on April 26. A four-year jail sentence was suspended, but Ramirez-Angeles will spend 42 days in county jail and will be put on probation for four years, according to a news release. He must also pay a $1,000 criminal fine, $2,800 in civil penalties, do 100 hours community service and his hunting, fishing and trapping licenses have been revoked for 10 years.
Idaho Department of Fish and Game Senior Conservation Officer Lauren Lane tells EastIdahoNews.com they received a tip about Ramirez-Angeles last November, when they were contacted by an employee from Matt’s Custom Meats in St. Anthony regarding two suspicious deer that had been brought in to be butchered and processed.
“It was suspicious, because they didn’t have any tags, and deer are required to have a tag to be transported,” Lane said.
An investigation into Ramirez-Angeles uncovered a number of Idaho Code violations had taken place over multiple years, according to a news release. As a result of interviews and a cell phone search warrant, Fish and Game officers discovered the suspect had unlawfully taken at least four mule deer and two elk from the Big Hole Mountains near Rexburg and the Sand Creek Desert just outside of St. Anthony over a period of several years.
Ramirez-Angeles was charged with a felony in Fremont County for unlawfully possessing the mule deer, and two misdemeanors in Madison County for unlawfully possessing two elk. The charges in Madison County were later dismissed.
Ramirez-Angeles was arrested and released Dec. 4 after posting a $10,000 bond, according to court documents.
Lane says tips like the one received in this case are invaluable in catching poachers.
“Calls from businesses and citizens are very important, because they really make the cases,” she said. “There are only 100 of us in the state and we only have so many eyes out there, so when we get a call it really expands our reach.”