Four Wisconsin Hunters Sentenced For Illegal Hunt in Montana

from WEAU 13 News

MADISON, Wis. (MEDIA RELEASE) — Four men — Robert Peters, 53, Turtle Lake, Wisconsin; Steven Reindahl, 55, Turtle Lake; David Johnson, 31, Barnes, Wisconsin; and Darren Johnson, 52, Deer Park, Wisconsin — were sentenced Tuesday, Feb. 25 in federal court in Madison.

The defendants were convicted of crimes related to an illegal 2017 mountain lion hunt in Montana, in violation of the Lacey Act, and conspiring to obstruct a 2018 federal grand jury investigation.

Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker sentenced Peters and Reindahl to two years of probation, David Johnson to a three-year term of probation, and Darren Johnson to a four-year term of probation. As a condition of probation, these defendants cannot hunt and trap, or assist and/or accompany others engaged in hunting or trapping worldwide for a period of two years to begin on the date of sentencing. Both Peters and Reindahl were fined $5,000, David Johnson was fined $25,000, and Darren Johnson was fined $30,000.

All fines were due and payable immediately, and all defendants paid the fines today. The Johnsons’ fines were paid directly to the Lacey Act Reward Fund.

In addition, Judge Crocker ordered three of the defendants to forfeit instrumentalities used during the illegal hunt. Robert Peters was ordered to forfeit a Browning Abolti rifle and a bobcat hide.

David Johnson and Darren Johnson are not related.

In imposing the sentences today, Judge Crocker observed that these four defendants were men “who loved and lived to hunt, but they cut corners and cheated. They broke the law knowingly.” Judge Crocker also said that “most hunters play by the rules and they expect all hunters to play by the rules.” The judge explained that these sentences need to send the general deterrence message to the hunting community that “if you play by the rules you are not a chump, and if you don’t play by the rules you face severe consequences, and the government will hit you where it hurts . . . . The government will take away what you love the most – hunting.”

Judge Crocker told the defendants that “these types of cases are important. Hunting is a privilege not a right. The rules apply to everyone. You cannot cheat.” Finally, the judge counseled the defendants that, “this case could easily have been a felony with far more severe sanctions with life-changing results . . . . It could have been much worse.” The judge ended by saying, “These sentences are no picnic. But they are supposed to hurt. If you cheat, your sentence should make you hurt. We won’t tolerate this type of behavior.”

On January 6, 2017, Darren and David Johnson, Bob Peters and Steve Reindahl were in Mosby, Montana hunting mountain lions with their dogs. That morning, the dogs treed a mountain lion. Only Darren Johnson and Steve Reindahl had valid licenses to hunt mountain lions.

Despite not having a valid license, David Johnson used Darren Johnson’s rifle to shoot and kill the mountain lion, and Darren Johnson took out his tag and tagged the lion. According to witness testimony, Darren Johnson told the group that everyone needed to stick to the story that Darren Johnson killed the mountain lion. On January 10, 2017, all four men drove back from Montana to Wisconsin, and Darren Johnson and Steve Reindahl transported the mountain lion hide. A few days later, Darren Johnson dropped off the hide at David Johnson’s home.

In late May 2018, Bob Peters and Steve Reindahl were served with grand jury subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury on June 21, 2018, in Madison regarding the 2017 mountain lion hunt. On Sunday, June 17, 2018, Darren and David Johnson, Robert Peters, and Steve Reindahl met at Peter’s home in Turtle Lake to talk about the upcoming grand jury session. At the Sunday meeting, Darren Johnson allegedly told everyone to stick to the story that he killed the Montana mountain lion on January 6, 2017, and that the agents did not have any proof to say otherwise.

On June 21, 2018, Bob Peters and Steve Reindahl appeared before the grand jury. Later, Peters and Reindahl admitted that they lied to the grand jury and agreed to cooperate and tell the truth. They recanted their prior testimony and explained that David Johnson killed the mountain lion and Darren Johnson tagged it and told everyone he killed it and they all needed to stick to that story. Both men explained that
they were told by Darren Johnson at the meeting in Turtle Lake not to tell the truth to the grand jury.

The charges against these men were the result of an investigation conducted by special agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Law Enforcement, and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

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