A federal indictment charges three men — including a West Virginia ranch manager — with violating the Lacey Act by illegally transporting live deer across state lines without required health certificates, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
Brian Poling, 51, of Albright, West Virginia, Levi S. Weaver, 74, of Fredericksburg, Ohio, and Leroy M. Miller, 40, of Millersburg, Ohio, each face charges in connection with the scheme. According to the indictment, Poling — manager of Dream Mountain Ranch in Preston County, West Virginia — conspired with Miller and Weaver to transport live deer in interstate commerce without the documentation required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Federal regulations require anyone transporting live deer across state lines to provide an Interstate Certificate of Veterinarian Inspection and proof of a tuberculosis test. The requirements are designed to prevent the spread of diseases including tuberculosis, brucellosis and chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological illness that can affect deer, elk and moose.
“West Virginians have long depended on a healthy and diverse wildlife population to feed our families, make memories, and enjoy our great outdoors,” Harvey said. “It is our shared heritage and will be protected.”
Doug Ault, assistant director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, said the illegal transport of live deer poses a serious public health risk.
“Deer can carry deadly zoonotic diseases that may be spread to humans, livestock, and other animals,” Ault said. “Without proper safeguards, outbreaks can occur that disrupt hunting traditions and jeopardize farm livelihoods.”
Col. Alberto Maza, director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement, credited the partnership between state and federal agencies for bringing the charges forward.
“The investigators and agents involved in this case should be commended for their dedication and hard work that led to these charges,” Maza said.
Each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
Additional information about cervid disease prevention and management is available at aphis.usda.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
