Three men have admitted to a multi-year illegal bobcat poaching operation that spanned the New Hampshire and New York borders. The group allegedly killed dozens of animals to supply a Canadian fur auction between 2018 and 2022 .
Falsified New York tags used to mask New Hampshire kills
The federal prosecution of Sherwood Dubrey Sr., Sherwood Dubrey Jr., and Randy Inman centers on a scheme to bypass wildlife conservation laws. According to the US Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, the defendants killed at least 41 bobcats in New Hampshire, where hunting the species is illegal. To make the pelts appear legitimate for export, the group obtained false wildlife tags from New York, a state where bobcat hunting is permitted.
This maneuver was a direct violation of the Lacey Act, a federal law enacted in 1900 to combat the illegal trafficking of wildlife by making it a crime to trade in animals taken in violation of state or foreign laws. sherwood Dubrey Sr., 72, allegedly secured these fraudulent tags and arranged for the pelts to be transported. Meanwhile, Dubrey Jr. and Randy Inman were accused of using bait piles on both private and state land to lure the animals before shooting them. The evidence presented in court included rifle scope videos and photographs of the kills.
A $3,000 payout for 41 poahced bobcat pelts
The financial scale of the operation appears remarkably small compared to the legal risks involved. The report says the 41 poached pelts were worth approximately US$3,000. In response to the charges, defense attorney Lothstein argued that the venture was not a professional business, noting that the men may have spent more on gasoline traveling to New York than they earned from the auction.
Despite the "minuscule" profit, the legal consequences are significant. As reported by CTVNews.ca, Sherwood Dubrey Jr. and Randy Inman could each face up to five years in prison. Sherwood Dubrey Sr. faces a maximum sentence of one year. All three men are scheduled for sentencing in January 2027.
The multi-agency effort involving Environment Canada and Ontario
Enforcing wildlife laws across borders requires significant international cooperation. This investigation was led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, with additional support from Environment Canada and Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources. This collaborative approach is necessary to combat the illegal trade of species like the bobcat (Lynx rufus), a medium-sized wild cat found across much of the US, Mexico, and southern Canada.
US Attorney Erin Creegan emphasized that the scheme disregarded the "democratic consensus" and the principles of sportsmanship held by New Hampshire hunters. the prosecution aims to send a clear message that exploiting wildlife for profit carries heavy consequences, regardless of how many state or international lines are crossed.
The mystery of the unnamed Canadian auction house
While the destination of the illegal pelts is known, several details remain unverified . Court documents do not name the specific Canadian auction house that received the 41 pelts. Although the report states the auction house had no involvement in the criminal scheme, the lack of a named entity leaves a gap in the full picture of the supply chain.
Additionally, it is not yet clear if the investigation will expand to determine if other poachers utilized the same auction house for illegal exports. the current guilty pleas focus on the specific actions of the Dubrey and Inman trio, but the broader reach of the illegal pelt trade remains an open question for authorities.
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