Waterfowl hunting guide Jeff Foiles of Illinois has pleaded guilty to charges arising from the illegal sale of guided waterfowl hunts, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Foiles in recent years has appeared at Game Fair in Anoka, where he sells duck and goose calls and various waterfowl hunting memorabilia.
According to investigators with the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service:
Foiles, 54, of Pleasant Hill, Ill., pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one misdemeanor count of unlawful sale of wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act, as well as one misdemeanor count of unlawfully taking migratory game birds in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
At the same time, the company that operates Foiles' hunting club, the Fallin' Skies Strait Meat Duck Club LLC, located in Pike County, Ill., pleaded guilty to an information charging it with one felony count of unlawful sale of wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act and one felony count of making false writings in a matter within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Lacey Act is a federal law that makes it illegal to knowingly transport or sell wildlife taken in violation of federal law or regulation. The act defines the sale of wildlife to include the sale of guiding services for the illegal taking of wildlife.
"The case had more to do with greed than hunting," said USFWS resident agent in charge for Illinois and Missouri Tim Santel. "When you look at the totality of the crimes, the case was more about commercializing wildlife for private gain then the art of hunting."
According to the plea agreements filed in court Thursday, between 2003 and 2007, Foiles sold and guided waterfowl hunts at the club for the purpose of illegally hunting ducks and geese in excess of hunters' individual daily bag limits. Guided hunters paid $250 per day for hunts at the club. Foiles and others at the club also falsified hunting records in order to conceal the excesses.
