Illinois – In a major win for conservation enforcement and ethical hunters everywhere, a federal judge in southern Illinois has ordered five Mississippi men to pay nearly $120,000 in fines and restitution after they admitted to illegally poaching trophy whitetail deer across five Illinois counties.
Between 2018 and 2022, the men ran what authorities described as a calculated and organized poaching operation. Using spotlights under the cover of darkness, the group illegally shot deer in Massac, Jefferson, Union, Pope, and Clark counties. They then transported the carcasses back to Mississippi, where the animals were processed for meat and mounted as trophies.
This wasn’t a case of one bad weekend in the woods—it was a multi-year abuse of Illinois’s wildlife and hunting laws.
The five men—Lee J. Johnson, Steven J. Pique, Gerald B. Moran, Joshua A. Marshall, and John M. Pritchard—pleaded guilty to federal wildlife charges, including violations of the Lacey Act, which makes it a crime to transport illegally taken game across state lines. Each received probation and was ordered to pay a combination of restitution and fines totaling $120,000.
Johnson, 54, was hit with the steepest penalty: $75,000 in restitution and a $10,000 fine. Other members of the group were ordered to pay between $2,000 and $12,500 each, depending on their role.
The restitution will go to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, while the fines will support the Lacey Act Reward Account through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Officials say the operation not only violated conservation law, but also flew in the face of the fair-chase values that most hunters respect. Spotlighting deer, also known as “jacklighting,” is widely outlawed for good reason—it gives the animal no chance and undermines the integrity of the hunt.
“This was not an isolated incident of unlawful hunting; rather, it was a calculated, multi-year operation that exploited Illinois’s prized wildlife resources for personal gain,” said Assistant Director Douglas Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement.
“Targeting trophy deer under the cover of night, across multiple counties, and transporting them across state lines reflects a deliberate disregard for wildlife laws and the ecological balance we work tirelessly to protect. Such organized violations undermine decades of conservation progress and diminish the integrity of fair-chase hunting traditions that responsible hunters value nationwide.”
The case was brought to justice through a joint investigation by federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Illinois Conservation Police, ATF, and Mississippi’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
For law-abiding hunters and gun owners who care about preserving the tradition of responsible hunting, this case is a strong reminder that the system still works when poachers cross the line. Ethical sportsmen rely on wildlife laws not just to protect game populations, but to ensure a level playing field for everyone who plays by the rules.
Originally reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois. Updated July 25, 2025.
Sad tale but a very good ending. Personally, I won’t even drive through Illinois because of their onerous gun laws. But it seems they got this situation handled correctly.
Douche bags got what they deserved. How can you spotlight a deer and get it mounted? Absolutely no pride or morals
Being from the great state of Mississippi I apologize to the state of Illinois and to all hunters. This is not how we are raised down here. I did not read where these guys had their hunting privileges taken away, but they should have been.