A Beaumont teenager has been sentenced to five years of probation and will pay a total restitution of $25,815 after pleading guilty to shooting two whooping cranes in January.
19-year-old Trey Joseph Frederick pleaded guilty to the federal wildlife violations in May. Tuesday U.S. Magistrate Judge Zach Hawthorne sentenced him in federal court in Beaumont.
In addition to the probation and restitution, Frederick will perform 200 hours of community service. He will be prohibited from owning or possession a firearm, ammunition or other dangerous weapon. He will also be prohibited from hunting and fishing in the United States.
Half of the restitution will go to the International Crane Foundation and the other half to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden took reports on January 11 from people finding two dead whooping cranes. Frederick was reported to have been seen in the area with a hunting rifle telling people he was hunting geese.
Whooping cranes are endangered and are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Office of Law Enforcement and Game Wardens of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte was the prosecutor.
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