Birdman
07-19-2004, 10:31 AM
Bellar's place is the largest captive cervid facility in Indiana. It was
proclaimed as the "model captive cervid facility" by the industry and
used as a tour for the captive cervid task force earlier this year.
They were raided by state and federal officials earlier this year for
potential violations concerning captive whitetail deer. The U.S.
Attorney General just filed 38 feloney endictments. The story broke
with this 7/16 article in the Indianapolis Star:
By George McLaren
george.mclaren@indystar.com
July 16, 2004
Federal authorities will attempt to seize the private deer herd of the
state's largest hunting preserve, as well as much of the equipment used
in its operation, officials said today. As part of a 50-page
indictment, the U.S. Attorney's office in South Bend
has filed a court forfeiture action against Russell G. Bellar, 49, of
Peru,Ind. Bellar and Hinds Tom Jones, 36, of Mississippi, also face more
than 30
felony counts in connection with alleged violations of federal wildlife
laws.
Thomas Schmid, assistant U.S. Attorney, said Bellar and Jones are
expected to surrender by Monday in South Bend to face the charges.
Schmid said
authorities obtained a restraining order against Bellar today to prevent
him from disposing of the deer or other items listed in the forfeiture,
including several vehicles and weapons. Bagging trophy deer at Bellar's
Place was just a little too easy, federal investigators said Thursday.
For the right price, hunters could have a select buck doped up and led
to a small pen to be killed.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said an investigation also
found illegal weapons, unlicensed hunters and deer that had been baited
to come
near hunters.
In some cases, hunters were allowed to choose a specific deer to kill --
a violation of Indiana law --and paid up to $20,000 to do so, officials
said.
Some animals were drugged and had their antlers measured before being
led into pens to be killed, officials said. Authorities also alleged
that the animal carcasses, including antlers and
hides, were then illegally taken across state lines.
It was unclear how many deer are kept at Bellar's 1,100-acre fenced
hunting preserve in rural Miami County. In state records filed last
year, he said he
had 1,267 white-tail deer at the property.
Schmid said the seizure would not be carried out until there is a
conviction in the case, which could take a year or longer to occur. He
said he did not
know what would happen to the animals if they were seized or where they
would be held. "We'll just have to see how many deer he does have and do
the best we can to properly care for the deer," Schmid said. Neither
Bellar nor Jones could be reached for comment late Thursday. After state
and federal authorities raided his deer farm, office and home in
February, Bellar dismissed the case as a political vendetta by the state
Department of Natural Resources.
"I have no clue what they are looking for. This is all political stuff;
that's all it is," Bellar said on the day of the raid. "They are against
what I do," he added. "They are against anyone that raises
white-tail deer. They hate us with a passion."
Bellar, a developer, has denied he charged hunters to kill specific
deer, saying instead that they paid "bed and breakfast" fees. DNR
spokesman Stephen Sellers called the indictments "a real
attention-getter." "This ought to cause us all to step back and take a
look and realize it is important to regulate and to regulate properly,"
Sellers said.
The investigation involved undercover conservation officers and
interviews with hunters who had paid money to kill deer at the preserve.
Federal authorities said Bellar and Jones committed repeated violations
of the federal Lacey Act, a wildlife protection law that punishes the
sale and
importation of wildlife illegally killed under state regulations. Each
felony count could lead to up to five years in prison or a $250,000
fine.
"This became a federal investigation when it was evident that deer were
being killed or sold unlawfully and many of the hunters were from out of
state," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement agent Paul
Beiriger, lead investigator for the case, said in a written statement.
Lt. Col. Jeff Wells, executive officer for the DNR law enforcement
division,criticized the Bellar operation. "This was not hunting," he
said. "It's just wrong."
Call Star reporter George McLaren at (317) 444-6232
proclaimed as the "model captive cervid facility" by the industry and
used as a tour for the captive cervid task force earlier this year.
They were raided by state and federal officials earlier this year for
potential violations concerning captive whitetail deer. The U.S.
Attorney General just filed 38 feloney endictments. The story broke
with this 7/16 article in the Indianapolis Star:
By George McLaren
george.mclaren@indystar.com
July 16, 2004
Federal authorities will attempt to seize the private deer herd of the
state's largest hunting preserve, as well as much of the equipment used
in its operation, officials said today. As part of a 50-page
indictment, the U.S. Attorney's office in South Bend
has filed a court forfeiture action against Russell G. Bellar, 49, of
Peru,Ind. Bellar and Hinds Tom Jones, 36, of Mississippi, also face more
than 30
felony counts in connection with alleged violations of federal wildlife
laws.
Thomas Schmid, assistant U.S. Attorney, said Bellar and Jones are
expected to surrender by Monday in South Bend to face the charges.
Schmid said
authorities obtained a restraining order against Bellar today to prevent
him from disposing of the deer or other items listed in the forfeiture,
including several vehicles and weapons. Bagging trophy deer at Bellar's
Place was just a little too easy, federal investigators said Thursday.
For the right price, hunters could have a select buck doped up and led
to a small pen to be killed.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said an investigation also
found illegal weapons, unlicensed hunters and deer that had been baited
to come
near hunters.
In some cases, hunters were allowed to choose a specific deer to kill --
a violation of Indiana law --and paid up to $20,000 to do so, officials
said.
Some animals were drugged and had their antlers measured before being
led into pens to be killed, officials said. Authorities also alleged
that the animal carcasses, including antlers and
hides, were then illegally taken across state lines.
It was unclear how many deer are kept at Bellar's 1,100-acre fenced
hunting preserve in rural Miami County. In state records filed last
year, he said he
had 1,267 white-tail deer at the property.
Schmid said the seizure would not be carried out until there is a
conviction in the case, which could take a year or longer to occur. He
said he did not
know what would happen to the animals if they were seized or where they
would be held. "We'll just have to see how many deer he does have and do
the best we can to properly care for the deer," Schmid said. Neither
Bellar nor Jones could be reached for comment late Thursday. After state
and federal authorities raided his deer farm, office and home in
February, Bellar dismissed the case as a political vendetta by the state
Department of Natural Resources.
"I have no clue what they are looking for. This is all political stuff;
that's all it is," Bellar said on the day of the raid. "They are against
what I do," he added. "They are against anyone that raises
white-tail deer. They hate us with a passion."
Bellar, a developer, has denied he charged hunters to kill specific
deer, saying instead that they paid "bed and breakfast" fees. DNR
spokesman Stephen Sellers called the indictments "a real
attention-getter." "This ought to cause us all to step back and take a
look and realize it is important to regulate and to regulate properly,"
Sellers said.
The investigation involved undercover conservation officers and
interviews with hunters who had paid money to kill deer at the preserve.
Federal authorities said Bellar and Jones committed repeated violations
of the federal Lacey Act, a wildlife protection law that punishes the
sale and
importation of wildlife illegally killed under state regulations. Each
felony count could lead to up to five years in prison or a $250,000
fine.
"This became a federal investigation when it was evident that deer were
being killed or sold unlawfully and many of the hunters were from out of
state," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement agent Paul
Beiriger, lead investigator for the case, said in a written statement.
Lt. Col. Jeff Wells, executive officer for the DNR law enforcement
division,criticized the Bellar operation. "This was not hunting," he
said. "It's just wrong."
Call Star reporter George McLaren at (317) 444-6232