Smuggling case with ties to CWD, Pennsylvania deer farm revealed

Posted on: September 21, 2017 | Bob Frye | Comments

Chronic wasting disease and a deer farm have been linked.

Fears of spreading chronic wasting disease have led many states to impose bans on the importation of animals from deer farms in certain locations.
Photo: Pixabay

Were deer from a quarantined Pennsylvania deer farm and potentially exposed to CWD ultimately moved to a Mississippi hunting preserve in violation of the law?

That’s the allegation.

The charges

Officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Mississippi announced on Sept. 14 that they’ve charged two Louisiana men with violations of the Lacey Act. That act “makes it unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase wildlife that were taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any state.”

According to a news release, Edward L. Donaldson Jr., 75, and John Jared Oertling, 42, both residents of Pearl River, St. Tammany Parish, La., allegedly imported live deer into Mississippi. The deer were supposedly taken to Turkey Trott Ranch, to be used for breeding purposes and for high-fence hunting.

That’s a 1,031-acre high fenced enclosure in Forrest County, Mississippi, owned by Jill Marie Donaldson. She’s the wife of Oertling and daughter of Donaldson.

The two men manage the property.

The problem is allegedly that the deer came from a Pennsylvania deer farm confirmed to have CWD.

Pennsylvania connection

The news release alleges Donaldson and Oertling imported the animals from the Pennsylvania deer farm between February of 2010 and November of 2012. That was despite learning, in October of 2012, that some deer had been exposed to CWD, it added.

The news release did not identify the Pennsylvania deer farm. A call to the U.S. Attorney’s Office was not returned either.

But there was only one Pennsylvania deer farm confirmed to have CWD at that time. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture officials announced in October of 2012 that CWD was discovered on a farm located at 1491 New Chester Road in New Oxford, Adams County.

Two sick deer were found there. That marked the first appearance of the disease in the state.

That deer farm and three others were placed under quarantine.

Mississippi law

According to acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Special Agent in Charge Luis Santiago of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, Donaldson and Oertling “knowingly and willingly” smuggled deer that were potentially exposed from there into Mississippi.

That’s illegal under Mississippi law. No Importation of live deer is allowed.

That state’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks likewise has a regulation that prohibits the importation of live white-tailed deer.

“This case demonstrates our continuing commitment, together with our federal and state law enforcement partners, to investigate and prosecute those who choose to violate the federal Lacey Act by illegally importing white-tailed deer into our state,” said Brittain.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement considers the potential spread of disease caused by the illegal commercialization of wildlife resources a high priority, and we will continue to work closely with our state partners to assist them in these important investigations,” added Santiago.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. It is being prosecuted by Criminal Division Chief Darren J. LaMarca.

Deer farm

It’s unknown yet whether anyone Pennsylvania might face charges in the case. Game Commission spokesman Travis Lau would say only that “we are investigating.”

But Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture said nothing was done wrong on this end. The deer were shipped legally from Pennsylvania to Louisiana. That latter state had no ban on importation of deer potentially exposed to CWD.

“From that point the deer were illegally smuggled from Louisiana supposedly into Mississippi, so any penalties would have been issued by Louisiana or Mississippi,” said Agriculture’s deputy communications director, Shannon Powers.

Bob Frye is the everybodyadventures.com editor. Reach him at 412-838-5148 or bfrye@535mediallc.com. See other stories, blogs, videos and more at everybodyadventures.com.

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