BAKER COUNTY, Fla. -- Six residents, including a 17-year-old, involved in a poaching ring were recently cited for more than 30 wildlife law violations by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers.
Trenton Lee Forester Stokes, Joseph Bruce Johnson, Dustin Rhoden, Brian Harris and a 17-year-old juvenile, all from Baxter, and David Henry Jones of Callahan, were charged with multiple violations for the illegal take of deer and alligators as well as several hunting license violations.
FWC officers responded to a remote area of the county after several complaints of illegal hunting. Nine illegally taken deer were seized, including a large buck in velvet that was confined to a small island during the Tropical Storm Debbie flood; and four guns were seized. The charges were as follows:
Trenton Stokes: two counts of taking deer out of season, one count of taking deer at night, one count of illegal method, two counts possession of illegally taken deer.
Joseph Bruce Johnson: one count of taking deer out of season, two of hunting license violations.
David Henry Jones: two counts deer out of season, two counts illegal method, two hunting license violations.
Dustin Rhoden: two counts illegal possession
Brian Harris: one count illegal possession of alligator, one count possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis.
17-year-old juvenile: five counts taking/attempting to take deer out of season, three counts taking/attempting to take deer by illegal method, two counts illegal possession, one count baiting in WMA, two hunting license infractions, three warnings for illegal WMA access.
