LITTLE VALLEY, N.Y. — Two Coudersport, Pa., men and one Steuben County man have been charged by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in connection with a recent deer poaching incident.
Alex Nadjadi, 23, of Savona, and Jeffery Duell Jr., 29, and Nathan Karns, 24, of Coudersport, have been charged with a total of 40 misdemeanor offenses stemming from an investigation into the illegal taking of eight deer. The offenses include 38 Environmental Conservation Law misdemeanors, one New York Vehicle and Traffic Law misdemeanor, and one criminal possession of a weapon misdemeanor.
On Dec. 9, a conservation officer received a complaint from a resident who reported hearing a gunshot and observing a car repeatedly driving up and down a road in the town of Woodhull. The officer responded to the complaint and found the complainant had confronted Duell, who had allegedly been driving up and down the road. The officer then located Karns walking down the road, the DEC reported.
Duell had allegedly dropped Karns off to look for a deer the pair had shot with the use of the vehicle’s headlights, while Duell drove up and down the road looking for a signal from Karns, the DEC reported. The signal was never given because Karns saw the complainant confront Duell.
An investigation determined that eight deer had been illegally shot after sunset with the aid of a motor vehicle on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9. Further investigation led to officers identifying Nadjadi as a third suspect.
DEC alleged that poached deer were dispersed in four separate locations: a field in Woodhull, dropped on the roadside in Woodhull, in Nadjadi’s possession and in a barn in Allegany County.
The three men were charged with multiple misdemeanor offenses.
Karns was arrested for the following 17 misdemeanor offenses and faces up to $41,000 in fines and/or up to 17 years in jail: eight counts of taking a deer with the aid of a motor vehicle; eight counts of the illegal taking of a deer; and criminal possession of a weapon.
Duell was ticketed for the following violations and faces up to $40,500 in fines and/or up to 16 years in jail: eight counts of taking a deer with the aid of a motor vehicle; eight counts of the illegal taking of a deer; and one count of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Nadjadi was ticketed for the following violations and faces up to $15,000 in fines and/or up to six years in jail: three counts of taking a deer with the aid of a motor vehicle and three counts of the illegal taking of a deer.
The charges are answerable in Woodhull Town Court on Jan. 8. The deer were seized as evidence and the meat was donated to a New York state member of the Venison Donation Coalition.
