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Started by slamman, February 20, 2012, 08:55:01 PM
Quote from: slamman on February 20, 2012, 08:55:01 PMA wealthy Florida businessman has agreed to admit to misdemeanor hunting violations in order to end felony criminal cases that charged him with poaching deer and elk in two Montana counties.Mark Gary Morse will appear in a Montana courtroom on Tuesday and plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of hunting without a license in Big Horn County, where he faces two felony hunting violations.A similar agreement has been struck between Morse and Assistant Attorney General Barbara Harris to resolve a felony case in Yellowstone County.According to the agreement in the Big Horn County case, Harris will dismiss two felony counts of unlawful possession of a game animal against Morse in exchange for his admission to the misdemeanor charge.Morris will pay a $1,500 fine, the agreement states, and $1,500 in restitution for three mule deer bucks prosecutors said he illegally possessed in 2008.In the Yellowstone County case, Morse will also plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of hunting without a license in exchange for the dismissal of two felony hunting violations and a second misdemeanor. Morse will pay a $1,000 fine and restitution of $1,000 for an elk he had in 2007.The plea agreements in both cases state that Morse will not lose any hunting or fishing privileges as a result of the misdemeanor convictions.Similar agreements have been reached between Harris and two of Morse's business associates also charged with felony hunting violations in Big Horn County, according to court records. James Rainey and Lenard Powell will appear in court next week with Morse to enter their pleas.Morse, Rainey, Powell, Morse's wife and daughter, a former Florida game warden, a Utah outfitter and Morse's ranch manager were charged in November 2010 with numerous felony and misdemeanor violations that prosecutors said occurred over several years on private ranches owned by Morse in Big Horn and Yellowstone counties.Morse is the president and chief operating officer of The Villages, a sprawling retirement community near Orlando. Rainey and Powell own businesses that do work at the community, and Rainey is a co-owner with Morse of one of the ranches where Montana authorities alleged the group hunted illegally.Morse's daughter, Kelsea Morse, last year admitted two misdemeanor hunting charges and received a six-month deferred sentence and paid $2,095 in fines and restitution. Charges against Morse's wife, M'Lissa Morse, are pending in Big Horn County.A felony charge against Morse's ranch hand, Toby Griffith, was dismissed at trial. Griffith, a former Florida game agent, resolved three misdemeanor charges by forfeiting $1,000. The outfitter, David Duncan, resolved two charges against him for illegally transferring his outfitter license to Morse and Rainey and is serving a two-year deferred sentence.The plea agreements in the cases against Morse, Rainey and Powell were reached after defense attorneys accused state investigators in court documents of "testifying falsely under oath in open court, conveniently deleting material entries from reports, and acting together to perpetuate the fraud."Harris, the state prosecutor in all the cases, did not return a message seeking comment this week. She denied in court records that the plea agreements were an admission of any wrongdoing by state officials."In entering into this (plea) agreement, the state concedes no issue of fact or law in this case," Harris wrote in the court records."The offer includes no agreement with any claim stated in defendant's motions and briefs. Rather, the state of Montana specifically disagrees with the allegations of fact and allegation of violation of law and enters into this agreement as a tactical and professional decisionRead more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/wealthy-florida-man-to-admit-misdemeanor-charges-in-poaching-case/article_9998addc-108c-51f7-80a3-6e2a444ae3c4.html#ixzz1mlnkHmlW
Quote from: BOFF on February 20, 2012, 09:50:14 PMQuote from: slamman on February 20, 2012, 08:55:01 PMA wealthy Florida businessman has agreed to admit to misdemeanor hunting violations in order to end felony criminal cases that charged him with poaching deer and elk in two Montana counties.Mark Gary Morse will appear in a Montana courtroom on Tuesday and plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of hunting without a license in Big Horn County, where he faces two felony hunting violations.A similar agreement has been struck between Morse and Assistant Attorney General Barbara Harris to resolve a felony case in Yellowstone County.According to the agreement in the Big Horn County case, Harris will dismiss two felony counts of unlawful possession of a game animal against Morse in exchange for his admission to the misdemeanor charge.Morris will pay a $1,500 fine, the agreement states, and $1,500 in restitution for three mule deer bucks prosecutors said he illegally possessed in 2008.In the Yellowstone County case, Morse will also plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of hunting without a license in exchange for the dismissal of two felony hunting violations and a second misdemeanor. Morse will pay a $1,000 fine and restitution of $1,000 for an elk he had in 2007.The plea agreements in both cases state that Morse will not lose any hunting or fishing privileges as a result of the misdemeanor convictions.Similar agreements have been reached between Harris and two of Morse's business associates also charged with felony hunting violations in Big Horn County, according to court records. James Rainey and Lenard Powell will appear in court next week with Morse to enter their pleas.Morse, Rainey, Powell, Morse's wife and daughter, a former Florida game warden, a Utah outfitter and Morse's ranch manager were charged in November 2010 with numerous felony and misdemeanor violations that prosecutors said occurred over several years on private ranches owned by Morse in Big Horn and Yellowstone counties.Morse is the president and chief operating officer of The Villages, a sprawling retirement community near Orlando. Rainey and Powell own businesses that do work at the community, and Rainey is a co-owner with Morse of one of the ranches where Montana authorities alleged the group hunted illegally.Morse's daughter, Kelsea Morse, last year admitted two misdemeanor hunting charges and received a six-month deferred sentence and paid $2,095 in fines and restitution. Charges against Morse's wife, M'Lissa Morse, are pending in Big Horn County.A felony charge against Morse's ranch hand, Toby Griffith, was dismissed at trial. Griffith, a former Florida game agent, resolved three misdemeanor charges by forfeiting $1,000. The outfitter, David Duncan, resolved two charges against him for illegally transferring his outfitter license to Morse and Rainey and is serving a two-year deferred sentence.The plea agreements in the cases against Morse, Rainey and Powell were reached after defense attorneys accused state investigators in court documents of "testifying falsely under oath in open court, conveniently deleting material entries from reports, and acting together to perpetuate the fraud."Harris, the state prosecutor in all the cases, did not return a message seeking comment this week. She denied in court records that the plea agreements were an admission of any wrongdoing by state officials."In entering into this (plea) agreement, the state concedes no issue of fact or law in this case," Harris wrote in the court records."The offer includes no agreement with any claim stated in defendant's motions and briefs. Rather, the state of Montana specifically disagrees with the allegations of fact and allegation of violation of law and enters into this agreement as a tactical and professional decisionRead more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/wealthy-florida-man-to-admit-misdemeanor-charges-in-poaching-case/article_9998addc-108c-51f7-80a3-6e2a444ae3c4.html#ixzz1mlnkHmlWSo, you can poach on your own ranch?I can see it both ways. I spend money on food plots, prescribed burning, and management of the land for the animals on it, but, the "State" owns the animals benefiting from my income, and time. I will follow state laws, but don't always agree with them.God Bless,David B.
