blake
Life Member
NEWS:
DNA aids in Ohio poaching case
Mansfield, Ohio – A Bellville man was ordered to pay $1,070 in restitution as the result of a poaching investigation that began in 2008, which was solved in part by DNA evidence collected by DNR Division of Wildlife investigators.
Timothy Steward, 25, pleaded guilty to several wildlife charges in Mansfield Municipal Court after deer blood and deer carcass parts were linked by DNA analysis to deer meat found in a refrigerator in Steward’s residence, investigators said.
“Without DNA we would not have proved the case,” said Jeremy Payne, wildlife investigator. “That is what made this case so solid.”
Investigators were fortunate to receive a timely tip from a resident who heard a loud, “very distinct” vehicle muffler late at night, and three gunshots, Payne said. The resident was able to get a partial license plate number, he said.
Payne along with Gregory Wasilewski, wildlife officer of Richland County, and Brad Baaske, wildlife officer of Wyandot County, collected deer blood samples in a hayfield, shell casings, and samples of deer meat from backstraps found near Riggle Road.
Investigators were able to trace the license plate to Steward’s rsidence, which Wasilewski said is near a “known dumping ground” for deer carcasses.
Wasilewski has worked in Richland County 15 years as wildlife officer. At the time, Wasilewski said he thought there was a good chance the recovered deer parts were likely connected to deer evidence found in the field.
“It was fresh,” he said.
A search warrant was obtained to for Steward’s residence, Payne said. Deer meat found in a refrigerator was seized and later tested by Therion, a research DNA laboratory in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Testing took nearly nine months, Payne said. Blood and meat samples submitted by the DOW resulted in a match to recovered deer meat from Steward’s residence and the field, he said.
Steward was ordered to pay $648 in fines and courts costs and received a suspended 30-day jail sentence. In addition, Steward forfeited equipment seized in the search of residence.
This post is for informational purposes only.
DNA aids in Ohio poaching case
Mansfield, Ohio – A Bellville man was ordered to pay $1,070 in restitution as the result of a poaching investigation that began in 2008, which was solved in part by DNA evidence collected by DNR Division of Wildlife investigators.
Timothy Steward, 25, pleaded guilty to several wildlife charges in Mansfield Municipal Court after deer blood and deer carcass parts were linked by DNA analysis to deer meat found in a refrigerator in Steward’s residence, investigators said.
“Without DNA we would not have proved the case,” said Jeremy Payne, wildlife investigator. “That is what made this case so solid.”
Investigators were fortunate to receive a timely tip from a resident who heard a loud, “very distinct” vehicle muffler late at night, and three gunshots, Payne said. The resident was able to get a partial license plate number, he said.
Payne along with Gregory Wasilewski, wildlife officer of Richland County, and Brad Baaske, wildlife officer of Wyandot County, collected deer blood samples in a hayfield, shell casings, and samples of deer meat from backstraps found near Riggle Road.
Investigators were able to trace the license plate to Steward’s rsidence, which Wasilewski said is near a “known dumping ground” for deer carcasses.
Wasilewski has worked in Richland County 15 years as wildlife officer. At the time, Wasilewski said he thought there was a good chance the recovered deer parts were likely connected to deer evidence found in the field.
“It was fresh,” he said.
A search warrant was obtained to for Steward’s residence, Payne said. Deer meat found in a refrigerator was seized and later tested by Therion, a research DNA laboratory in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Testing took nearly nine months, Payne said. Blood and meat samples submitted by the DOW resulted in a match to recovered deer meat from Steward’s residence and the field, he said.
Steward was ordered to pay $648 in fines and courts costs and received a suspended 30-day jail sentence. In addition, Steward forfeited equipment seized in the search of residence.
This post is for informational purposes only.