Sutter County Hunter Sentenced Following Conviction of Violating Migratory Bird Treaty Act

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Carlos T. Ortiz, 27, of Live Oak, pleaded guilty today to transportation and receipt of untagged migratory game birds and was subsequently sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremy D. Peterson to a three-year hunting ban, three years of probation, and a $1,000 fine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Ortiz helped organize and participate in a 10-person goose hunt near the Sutter National Wildlife Refuge in Sutter County. During the hunt, Ortiz and others shot and killed 258 snow geese and white-fronted geese. Snow geese and white-fronted geese are migratory game birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. None of the birds were tagged as required by law.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.