United States v. Mayhem Services, LLC, et al.

On December 3, 2025, a court sentenced Branden Trager and Mayhem Services, LLC, for violating the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(2)). Trager will pay a $100,000 fine, complete a three-year term of probation, and perform 180 hours of community service. Mayhem will pay a $75,000 fine and complete a three-year term of probation. Both defendants must make public statements on their websites and in a hunting trade journal apologizing for their criminal activity and promoting respect for hunting laws.

Trager owns Mayhem Services and operates guided hunting and fishing trips in the Pacific Northwest. Trager organizes hunts specifically targeting the harlequin duck, a rare sea bird prized by hunters. Washington State closed harlequin duck hunting season from 2022 to 2024, so Trager took three hunting parties to British Columbia, Canada, where it was still legal to hunt them. However, Canadian law prohibits non-citizens from obtaining guiding licenses. Trager conspired with a Canadian taxidermist to illegally shoot the harlequin and then export the mounts back to the United States.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and British Columbia Conservation Officer Service.