HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — A St. Mary’s County man faces criminal and civil charges for purportedly killing deer illegally, according to Maryland’s Natural Resources Police.
John G. Middleton, 29, of Clements, purportedly used other people’s hunting licenses to kill five more white-tailed deer than the limit. He also is charged with failing to attach state-issued tags to 13 deer he purportedly killed, agency Sgt. Ken Turner said Tuesday.
Mr. Middleton is charged with 36 hunting violations and nine criminal offenses, including three counts of falsifying public records, Sgt. Turner said.
Mr. Middleton, a drywall contractor, denied the charges.
“They didn’t catch me doing anything,” he said. “They don’t have video. They don’t have pictures.”
Sgt. Turner said the probe began last January when authorities got a tip about untagged deer heads purportedly belonging to Mr. Middleton. He said investigators seized two untagged, mounted trophy heads, which led them to Wathen’s Taxidermy shop in Hollywood, where they found evidence of numerous other violations.
Mr. Middleton said the heads seized from his home were from a collection of about 20 personal trophies dating back to his teens. He said the missing tags, which were supposed to have been attached to the backs of the mounts, apparently fell off during moves from one residence to another.
Mr. Middleton said evidence from the taxidermy shop that purportedly tied him to illegal deer kills was a result of his bringing in deer for friends and leaving his name and telephone number as the contact.
Most of the other criminal charges stem from a Sept. 3 incident in which Mr. Middleton purportedly shot a white-tailed buck using a spotlight at night while trespassing on private, posted farmland. He said the farmer who identified him was mistaken.
Maximum penalties for the criminal counts total more than 17 years behind bars and more than $10,000 in fines. The hunting violations carry maximum penalties totaling at least six months in jail and more than $40,000 in fines.
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