Madison, Wis. - John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Faling Yang, 42, and Corrie Korn, 43, both police officers with the La Crosse Police Department, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Madison to violating the Lacey Act, which protects certain animals and other wildlife from illegal hunting.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker scheduled sentencing for both defendants for May 16, 2012. The defendants face up to one year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine.

At the plea hearing, the government provided facts establishing that Yang and Korn operated a commercial guiding company on the National Wildlife Refuge on the Mississippi River in 2009 and 2010. During the course of their investigation of the defendants, undercover agents, working at the direction of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, hunted with the defendants, who intentionally killed and transported ducks in violation of Wisconsin law and the Lacey Act on October 6, 2009.

United States Attorney Vaudreuil noted that Lacey Act prosecutions are critical to ensuring that hunters and non-hunters can enjoy the use of the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge, which is one of the largest waterfowl gathering place on earth.

Vaudreuil also stated that in addition to facing up to one year in prison, the defendants agreed to cease and desist from guiding any hunters for a period of two years, agreed that they personally could not hunt anywhere in the United States for two years, and will pay a $5,000 fine.

The charges against the defendants were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Connell.

 

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