ROCKINGHAM — An investigation into illegal deer hunting activity conducted over the course of two deer hunting seasons by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has resulted in 29 members of a Richmond County hunting club being charged with a total of 308 offenses.
From August 2017 to April 2019, investigators embedded within the Sandy Ridge Hunting Club monitored the club’s activities throughout the Sandhills Game Lands in Richmond County, according to search warrants. The game lands in Richmond County stretch west from Hoffman along Naked Creek with patches just northwest of Jones Spring Church Road, continue east of Rocky Fork Creek and end just north of Beaverdam Church Road, according to the wildlife commission’s website.
Ryan Kennemur, public affairs specialist with the NCWRC, said the original purpose of the investigation was to address reports of whitetail deer being illegally killed on the game lands and surrounding private property. The investigation found 44 deer that had been taken unlawfully over the course of two deer hunting seasons, Kennemur said, as well as many instances of trespassing, littering, hunting from a vehicle or on the side of the road, sharing hunting licenses and falsifying hunting records with the commission.
Lt. Sam Craft, a spokesperson for the NCWRC, said commission officers had witnessed some of the illegal activity personally and received reports from the public with regard to the offenses. The charges range from Class 3 to Class 1 offenses, all misdemeanor criminal offenses.
Those charged have not been arrested, but Class 2 offenses, like night hunting, and Class 1 offenses, like loaning or borrowing hunting licenses, come with a mandatory court appearance, Craft said. The maximum fine for a Class 3 offense is $200, $1,000 for a Class 2 offense and up to the court’s discretion for a Class 1. Class 2 offenses can result in a revoking of a hunting license for a period of time and up to 60 days in jail, while sanctions for Class 1 offenses are at the discretion of the judge, according to Craft.
Asked why the investigation was conducted for two seasons, Craft said that there was evidence of more offenses being committed by the Sandy Ridge Hunting Club beyond initial investigations.
“If highway patrol stops someone speeding, is that person done speeding? Just because a person is charged once doesn’t mean they’re all of a sudden rehabilitated,” Craft said. “It hurts nothing to continue gathering information and see what you come up with after the fact. The smaller crimes lead to the bigger crimes we wouldn’t know about if we didn’t continue the investigation.”
A full list of the charges with the names and ages of the accused club members, provided to the Daily Journal by the NCWRC, is included below. The majority of them are scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 21.
Mark Allen, 25:
• One count of trespassing for the purpose of hunting.
Manley Brigman III, 64:
• One count trespassing for the purpose of hunting.
• Three counts of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Two counts of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Two counts of taking deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Two counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Two counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
Manley Scott Brigman, 45:
• One count of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• Two counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• Take deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Three counts of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Three counts of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Two counts of driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
• One count of loaning of license/big game kill card.
• One count of falsifying information with regards to registering a deer with the NCWRC.
Robert Keith Brigman, 38:
• Three counts of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• Three counts of taking deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Four counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Five counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• Four counts of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Three counts of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Two counts of exceeding the season’s deer limit.
• One count of driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
• One count of borrowing of license/big game kill card.
Michael Brandon English, 37:
• One count of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
Timothy Lee Greene Jr., 33:
• One count of driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
Casey Douglas Helms, 28:
• One count of trespassing for the purpose of hunting.
William Don Kirk Jr., 53:
• One count of taking deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Two counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Two counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
Robert Laton Jr., 68:
• Two counts of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• One count of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Two counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• One count of littering not greater than 1Fivelbs.
• One count of taking deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• One count of failing to validate big game kill card.
• One count of loaning of license/big game kill card.
• One count of falsifying information with regards to registering a deer with the NCWRC.
Ashley Briana Leviner, 26:
• One count of taking deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• One count of failing to validate big game kill card.
• One count of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• One count of hunting with the aid of motor vehicle.
William Alexander Maples, 21:
• Two counts of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• One count of hunting from the right of way of road.
• One count of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• One count of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• One count of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• One count of littering not greater than 15 lbs.
Austin Douglas McBryde, 20:
• One count of driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
Brian Phillip McCroskey, 30:
• Four counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• Three counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• One count of exceeding the season’s deer limit.
• One count of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• One count of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• One count of driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
Brian Philip McDonald, 44:
• Three counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• Two counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Two counts of exceeding the season’s deer limit.
• Two counts of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Two counts of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• One count of borrowing of license/big game kill card.
• One count of driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
Charles Philip McDonald, 66:
• One count of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• Two counts of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Two counts of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Hunt from the right of way of road.
• Night deer hunting
• Borrowing of license/big game kill card.
• Failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
Jordan Bryan McDonald, 19:
• Hunt from the right of way of road.
• Take deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Two counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
Roy Marshall McDonald Jr., 42:
• Two counts of driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
Michael Harris Odom, 46:
• One count of loaning of license/big game kill card.
• One count of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• One count of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• One count of falsify information with regards to registering a deer with the NCWRC.
• Two counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Two counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• Two counts of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• Hunt from the right of way of road.
Mark Thomas Yarbrough Porter, 25:
• Two counts of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• Two counts of littering not greater than 1Fivelbs.
• Three counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Three counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• Three counts of taking deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Two counts of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• One count of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
Christopher Leon Robinson, 40:
• One count of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
Brennan Chad Rorie, 24:
• One count of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
Calvin Lewis Sedberry, 52:
• One count of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• Five counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• Three counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Two counts driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
• Take deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Borrowing of license/big game kill card.
• Two counts of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Two counts of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
Kenneth Allan Sedberry, 54:
• Two counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
John Arthur Taylor, 26:
• One count of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• One count of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Three counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Three counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• Take deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Three counts of driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
• Two counts of trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• Engage in taxidermy work without a taxidermy license.
Aaron Franklin Thomas, 44:
• Failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
David Matthew Williams, 34:
• Two counts of littering not greater than 15lbs.
• Trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• Take deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
Jacob Shane Williams, 28:
• Four counts of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Four counts of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Five counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• Four counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Littering not greater than 15 lbs.
• Trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• Hunt with the aid of motor vehicle.
• Four counts of exceeding the season’s limit for deer.
Tyler Scott Williams, 21:
• Trespass for the purpose of hunting.
• 11 counts of failing to register big game kill with NCWRC.
• 10 counts of failing to validate big game kill card.
• Six counts of take deer on the Sandhills Game Lands during the closed season.
• Seven counts of possession of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Five counts of transportation of deer knowing it to have been unlawfully taken.
• Two counts of driving a motorized vehicle on a closed game lands road.
• Four counts of exceeding the season’s limit for deer.
• Hunt from the right of way of road.
James Stephen Wilson, 71:
• Trespass for the purpose of hunting.
