Bagged: Four Men Arrested After Posting Pictures Of Poached Deer On Facebook
jonathanturley
Adrian Acevedo-Hernandez, 36, Jose Luis Montufar-Canales, 31, Jose Manuel Ortega-Torres, 30, and J. Nemias Reyes Marin, 31, are in need of some “friends” after their Facebook postings led to their arrest. The men were shown on pictures with an assortment of dead animals. One picture from Hiko, Nevada below shows Ortega-Torres carrying off a mule deer in Nevada but game officials were struck by the background of the picture that was clearly not in the hunting season. That prompted a 16-month state and federal probe that finally led to the arrest of the men who are described as carrying out “a systematic killing, illegal killing, of wildlife.” Authorities believe that Acevedo-Hernandez, Montufar-Canales and Marin are illegal immigrants.
This picture was the tip that started the investigation, though the officials did not know the names of the hunters. When they finally identified Ortega-Torres and searched his home, they found illegally killed deer and migratory birds as well as butchering tools and weapons. The evidence incriminated other men in Las Vegas: Acevedo-Hernandez, Montufar-Canales, and J. Nemias Reyes Marin, 31 as part of the ring. They also found evidence of fraudulently obtained hunting licenses and tags.
The migratory birds exposes the men to federal charges. In addition, if the three men are illegal immigrants, they also violated federal laws prohibiting illegal immigrants from possessing firearms.
