Couple faces charges over wildlife violations

The two are accused of illegally buying and selling white-tailed deer meat.
KNOX -- Honest hunters sparked an undercover investigation into illegal deer meat sales, according to Reno Reda, an Ohio wildlife officer.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife officers arrested a Columbiana County meat processor and his wife Wednesday on charges of commercializing wildlife.
John W. Schneider, 57, of Knox Township, is charged with five counts of buying deer meat and two counts of possessing untagged deer parts. All are first-degree misdemeanors , which carry possible penalties of 1,000 in fines and 180 days in jail on each count.
Joanne Schneider, 51, is charged with three counts of selling deer meat and one count of records violations.
Sales are illegal
Reda said that it is illegal to sell deer meat. Sale of white-tailed deer meat is a third-degree misdemeanor in Ohio carrying a maximum penalty of 500 in fines and 60 days in jail on each count. The records violation is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, carrying a fine of up to 250 and 30 days in jail.
The Schneiders are accused of illegally buying and selling white-tailed deer meat at their business, Pine Hill Meats, which is next to their house at 25670 Mountz Road, Knox Township, Columbiana County. The deer processed were taken by both legal and illegal methods.
The charge of possessing untagged deer parts stems from state law that requires that documentation accompany legally taken deer throughout the butchering process.
Reda said he will have to review the documents for the wildlife that was butchered. That will involve hundreds of pounds of deer meat.
A sign at the shop indicated that Pine Hill Meats would charge 15 a pound to smoke deer meat. Reda said it wasn't clear what prices would have been charged for the alleged illegal processing.
The couple was aware the activity was a violation of Ohio wildlife laws, investigators said. Additional individuals may be charged, pending further investigation. A third person, a man, was taken into custody as a result of the raid and was taken to the county jail. Reda said that portion of the investigation involved drugs.
"We believe the subjects have illegally profited from Ohio's wildlife and have given poachers an outlet to sell illegally taken deer," said Doug Miller, Division of Wildlife law enforcement supervisor in northeast Ohio. "This should in no way reflect negatively on the image of the legitimate hunters of our state. In fact, it is because of concerned sportsmen who were willing to get involved that this alleged illegal activity has now been stopped."
"Numerous poaching complaints received through the Division of Wildlife's Turn in a Poacher hotline from sportsmen in Columbiana County initiated the investigation," said James Lehman, law enforcement executive administrator for the Division of Wildlife. The probe began about a year ago.
Established in 1982, the T.I.P. program allows Ohioans to call a toll-free number from anywhere in the state to report wildlife violations. Calls regarding wildlife violations can be placed anonymously at (800) POACHER ([800] 762-2437).