HAVRE, Mont. –-(Ammoland.com)- A Havre-area man has plead guilty to multiple misdemeanor charges in connection with illegally guiding hunters and violating other state wildlife protection laws.
Kenneth Jay Wilson, 50, is a resident of Laredo, a tiny community located about 10 miles southwest of Havre.
He recently pleaded guilty in Hill County Justice Court to two counts of harassing/chasing a game animal with a vehicle; one count of soliciting a nonresident to hunt without landowner permission; one count of soliciting a nonresident to hunter without a waterfowl stamp; hunting game birds without a license; one count of soliciting the hunting of big game without a license; and two counts of acting as an outfitter or guide without a license.
For those convictions, Hill County Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger ordered Wilson to pay a total of $6,380 in fines, fees and restitution and sentenced him to four years in the county jail, all time suspended if he pays the assessment and remains law-abiding.
As part of that total, Wilson must pay $2,775 to the state for fees he received for illegal guiding activities. He also forfeited his privileges to hunt, trap or fish for two years. In return for the guilty pleas, 21 other related misdemeanor charges were dismissed.
In Chouteau County Justice Court, Wilson also pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of acting as an outfitter or guide without a license.
He was fined $835, must forfeit privileges to hunt, trap, fish or accompany anyone else in the field for two years, and must write an apology to an area landowner, whose property was hunted on without permission.
As part of a plea agreement, two other related misdemeanor charges were dismissed.
“A total disregard for hunting laws was revealed during this investigation,” said FWP Region 6 Investigator Lennie Buhmann. “The situation needed to be addressed, and it was.”