ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A man from Washington state has been sentenced to jail for poaching in what authorities have described as an illegal hunt that left carcasses across Alaska.
Joseph Querin, 54, of Ocean Park, was initially charged with 21 violations stemming from the 2006 hunt. Prosecutors say Querin illegally planned and guided for his friend, Carson Kemmer, 25, also from Washington.
The two men were accused of illegally killing and wasting the meat of two sub-legal Dall sheep, a moose, a brown bear and a caribou within 10 days.
“It’s unbelievable the number of animals they killed in a 10-day period,” Assistant Attorney General Andrew Peterson said. “They had the illegal hunting trip of a lifetime.”
According to prosecutors, Kemmer shot four of the five animals in the Brooks Range along the Dalton Highway and near Turnagain Arm. Querin killed one animal, the second sub-legal sheep, according to prosecutors.
“For most of the animals themselves, Kemmer was the one who pulled the trigger, but what we knew was that Querin facilitated every single one of them being killed,” said Robert Welch, a wildlife trooper investigator.
In October, Kemmer struck a plea deal in which 22 charges against were reduced to six. He agreed to testify against Querin in exchange for suspended jail time and a fine of $22,500 plus $5,885 in restitution to the state.
Washington state troopers arrested Querin on unrelated charges in October after stopping his vehicle because he wasn’t wearing a seat belt. They discovered he had a small amount of methamphetamine and was wanted on a misdemeanor warrant, according to the patrol.
Querin made bail but skipped out on his court date and fled to his brother’s Wasilla home, where Alaska state troopers arrested him in January. He’s been in custody since.
Querin pleaded guilty Wednesday to five charges, including lying to get the resident license and tags, illegally possessing game and permitting violations. District Judge Brian Clark sentenced him to serve one year in prison with nearly three more suspended.
“Significant fines and jail are really essential in cases like this to help wildlife troopers do their job,” Peterson said. “Alaska is so remote, there’s no way they can catch everyone. It acts as a deterrent.”
Querin was also ordered to serve four years on probation and to pay a $4,000 fine. He lost his hunting privileges for four years.
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