2 Michigan Men Arrested For Poaching A Cow Elk
(CBS DETROIT) - After an anonymous tip to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers, two Michigan men have been arrested the poaching of a cow elk.
The investigation began in September 2018 with a tip called in to the DNR's Report All Poaching Hotline . An elk had been shot in the Pigeon River Country that month.
DNR conservation officers began following up on the tip and developed several suspects. A search warrant was obtained for the residence of one of the suspects. The search took place in October 2018, when evidence supporting the elk poaching was seized, in addition to illegal narcotics.
Jakob Gagnon, 21, fled the state after the search warrant was executed at his home. He recently turned himself in to law enforcement authorities and was arraigned on Aug. 28. He was charged with misdemeanors of taking an elk without a license and possessing stolen property, and a felony of possessing cocaine.
If found guilty on the elk charges, Gagnon could face penalties up to $5,000 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 15 years, 5 to 90 days in jail, as well as court fines and costs.
Logan Turbin, 22, was originally charged with possessing an elk without a license. On March 11, 2019, he pleaded guilty to a general wildlife crime. Turbin paid $795 in court fines and costs and $2,500 in restitution. His hunting privileges were revoked for one year.
No evidence has been identified connecting Gagnon or Turbin, or their camps, to five elk that were poached in three separate incidents during November and December 2019. Those incidents remain under investigation.
Anyone with information regarding these or other poaching incidents should call or text the Report All Poaching Hotline line at 800-292-7800. Information can be left anonymously; monetary rewards may be offered for information that leads to the arrest of violators.
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