U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska issued the following announcement on Jan. 22.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that an Idaho man was sentenced for multiple Lacey Act violations by unlawfully providing guided bear and moose hunts in the Noatak National Preserve.
Paul Silvis, 52, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to serve six months of home confinement, followed by five years of supervised release. In addition to the sentence, Silvis was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine, and ordered not to hunt in Alaska for the remainder of his lifetime. In October 2019, Silvis pleaded guilty to two felony counts of Lacey Act violations.
According to court documents, from 2009 to 2016, Silvis, a resident of Idaho, repeatedly violated state and federal law by unlawfully providing guided bear and moose hunts in the Noatak National Preserve. Silvis was motivated by pecuniary gain, as he acquired approximately $121,500 by unlawfully selling and providing guide services, which resulted in the unlawful taking of seven brown bear and one moose.
Specifically, on Sept. 5, and Sept. 12, 2014, as well as Sept. 25, 2013, within the Noatak National Preserve, Silvas knowingly guided illegal hunts for other residents of Idaho that did not possess the appropriate permits. The investigation revealed that Silvis advertised his unlicensed guiding services under the name “Orion Outfitters,” he transported illegally taken game across state lines, and submitted false business records to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) in order to conceal the illegal take of brown bears and illegally guided hunts.
In order to lawfully hunt brown bears within the Noatak National Preserve, a non-resident hunter would be required to have contracted with a licensed big game guide, possess the appropriate ADF&G draw permits as well as purchasing the appropriate big game tags. Once the permit is obtained, hunters are required to accurately report to ADF&G the big game animals hunted or killed. Silvis was neither a licensed big game guide, nor did he, or any of his clients, possess the appropriate big game tags.
The National Park Service (NPS) and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT) conducted the investigation leading to successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Steven E. Skrocki and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonas M. Walker for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska.
Original source can be found here.
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