3 People Charged After Allegedly Bringing Live Deer Across State Lines

Three people have been federally charged in West Virginia for allegedly trafficking live deer across state lines without proper certification.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia, 51-year-old Brian Poling of Albright, West Virginia, and manager of Dream Mountain Ranch in Preston County, allegedly conspired with Levi Weaver, 74, and Leroy Miller, 40, both of Ohio, to “illegally transport in interstate commerce live deer without health certificates as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”

Those transporting deer across state lines must have an Interstate Certificate of Veterinarian Inspection (ICV) and proof of a tuberculosis test to slow the spread of diseases like tuberculosis, brucellosis, and chronic wasting disease, which could affect other species such as elk and moose.

“The illegal transport of live deer poses a serious threat to people, wildlife, and the economy,” Doug Ault, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, said in the release. “We remain firmly committed to working with our state and federal partners to protect the American public and preserve our nation’s natural resources for sustainable use by future generations.”

The three men could face up to five years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.