Four Cited in Louisiana Alligator Poaching Case

(KHLA - Lake Charles, Louisiana) - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is reporting that four people were cited for violating state alligator hunting regulations.

The LDWF says they received reports of dead alligators floating in Saline Lake in Winn Parish on August 2.

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Upon arrival, officers found eight alligators with bullet wounds in their heads and some of the tails were removed.

They discovered through their investigation that four people were frogging on the morning of August 1 when the alligators were killed.

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For eight counts of taking or having alligators during a closed season, Brenton Carpenter, 19, Treyton Trawick, 23, and Sawyer Watkins, 18, of Jonesboro, as well as a 17-year-old juvenile, were all cited.

The LDWF states that collecting or being in the possession of alligators during a closed season carries a fine of $400 to $950 and a maximum jail sentence of 120 days. Additionally, the suspects might be liable for $3,006 in civil restitution.