Three Individuals Convicted In Champaign County, OH Shooting Case
Suspects will pay $2,779 in fines and restitution and serve 180 days in jail.
COLUMBUS, OH – -(AmmoLand.com)- Three people were convicted and sentenced in Champaign County Common Pleas Court for charges related to the shooting of a state wildlife officer’s vehicle last October, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Jesse W. Coffey, Todd M. Noel and Jacob Shepherd pled guilty to a total of 24 misdemeanor charges and four felonies on March 8, 2010, including hunting without a license, hunting without permission, and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.
Coffey and Noel were each fined $300 and sentenced to 65 days in jail, while Shepherd was fined $200 and sentenced to 50 days in jail. A restitution fee of $1,979.81 will be divided among the three suspects for damage to the ODNR vehicle and damage to approximately two acres of cropland. All three will serve 300 hours of community service while under community control for the next five years.
“The nature of the punishment was appropriate, as it set forth strong consequences for anyone choosing to violate Ohio’s wildlife laws. Their irresponsible behavior of mixing alcohol and firearms without due care for the safety of the general public now carries for them the loss of their freedom, the loss of their hunting privileges, and a felony designation on their record for the rest of their lives,” said Champaign County Prosecutor Nick A. Selvaggio.
State Wildlife Officers Jeffrey Tipton and Adam Smith were in the cruiser parked in a field conducting surveillance for poachers. The suspects’ vehicle pulled into the field and directed its headlights at the cruiser. One shot was fired hitting the cruiser in the front windshield. Officers turned on their emergency lights and the suspects fled.
The wildlife officers pursued the suspects 4.5 miles from Johnson Township to Concord Township. The three suspects were apprehended with assistance from the Ohio Highway Patrol and Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.
“I believe that Champaign County Common Pleas Court Judge Roger Wilson sent a message with his sentencing,” said Officer Tipton. “There are severe consequences for the violation of Ohio’s wildlife laws.”
Ken Fitz, assistant law enforcement administrator for ODNR Division of Wildlife, added, “I think this case illustrates the inherent danger jacklighting poses to the public. Poachers can never be completely sure of their target and what is beyond it.”
The convictions and sentences were as follows:
Jesse W. Coffey, 37, of St. Paris – One felony count of complicity to improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, one felony count of obstructing official business, and the following misdemeanor counts: hunting deer during a closed season, hunting deer with a prohibited firearm, hunting without permission, jacklighting, criminal trespassing, and two counts of injury to persons or property while hunting.
Coffey was sentenced to 65 days in jail, a $300 fine, and a share of the $1,979.81 restitution. He will serve 300 hours of community service, which may include speaking at hunter education classes and other instances requested by ODNR Division of Wildlife. He will be under community control for five years, with no contact allowed between him and the other defendants. He shall not possess a firearm or a hunting license, and may not engage in any hunting activities.
Todd M. Noel, 34, of St. Paris – One felony count of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, and the following misdemeanor counts: hunting without a license, hunting deer during a closed season, hunting a deer with a prohibited firearm, hunting without permission, jacklighting, criminal trespassing, using weapons while intoxicated, and two counts of injury to persons or property while hunting.
Noel was sentenced to 65 days in jail, a $300 fine, and a share of the $1,979.81 restitution. He will serve 300 hours of community service, which may include speaking at hunter education classes and other instances requested by ODNR Division of Wildlife. He will be under community control for five years, with no contact allowed between him and the other defendants. He shall not possess a firearm or a hunting license, and may not engage in any hunting activities.
Jacob Shepherd, 18, of St. Paris – One felony count of complicity to improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, and the following misdemeanor charges: underage consumption, hunting deer during a closed season, hunting deer with a prohibited firearm, hunting without permission, jacklighting, criminal trespassing, and two counts of injury to persons or property while hunting.
Shepherd was sentenced to 50 days in jail, a $200 fine, and a share of the $1,979.81 restitution. He will serve 300 hours of community service, which may include speaking at hunter education classes and other instances requested by ODNR Division of Wildlife. He will be under community control for five years, with no contact allowed between him and the other defendants. He shall not possess a firearm or a hunting license, and may not engage in any hunting activities.
The Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com.