Poachers convicted by federal jury

A federal jury this week convicted two Rabun County, Georgia men for their involvement in illegal bear hunting and related offenses. The convictions Monday in Asheville, North Carolina of Jerry Francis Parker and Walter Henry Stancil were announced by Anne Tompkins, U-S Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The 63-year old Parker and the 66-year old Stancil face the potential of one year in prison, a $100 thousand fine, the loss of their hunting licenses for five years, and banishment from the national forests. According to evidence, the two used chocolate candy as bait. They were convicted of violating the Lacey Act, which criminalizes the interstate transportation of wildlife taken in violation of state or federal hunting laws. According to the government, American black bears are a species of special concern warranting federal and state protection.