Wildlife violations have landed two young men in hot water in St. Landry Parish. According to a report by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Christian Harvey, 22, of Madisonville, and Alex Lejeune, 21, of Opelousas, face charges after a deputy during a traffic stop, stumbled upon a freshly harvested spotted fawn in the bed of a truck. The deputy, who was with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, alerted wildlife agents who tracked down the suspects at a nearby hunting camp.
The investigation revealed that Harvey had allegedly taken the fawn and later, together with Lejeune, attempted to bury the hide to conceal their actions. Wildlife enforcement agents, upon making contact with Harvey and Lejeune, discovered the cleaned deer and located the buried hide. In an attempt to hide the crime, it turned out to be a poor choice for the alleged violators who got caught with their hands literally in the dirt.
For these infractions, the consequences are not insignificant. Taking or possessing a spotted fawn can result in a fine ranging from $500 to $750, and up to 30 days in jail. The intentional concealment of wildlife carries an even steeper fine of $900 to $950, plus the possibility of up to 120 days behind bars. Harvey is also facing civil restitution, which requires him to compensate $400 for the replacement value of the spotted fawn…