Arizona Poaching Ring Uncovered: 14 Indicted in Wildlife Crimes
In a significant crackdown on illegal hunting activities, Arizona’s legal authorities have charged 14 individuals accused of engaging in a series of wildlife poaching activities. The state’s Attorney General, Kris Mayes, revealed that a grand jury has brought a 30-count indictment against the group, highlighting the severity of the alleged crimes.
The charges, filed in Coconino County Superior Court, range from conspiracy and illegal enterprise to theft and animal cruelty. These activities reportedly targeted wildlife protected by Arizona law. The individuals named in the indictment include:
- Bu Reh
- Joseph Hee
- Neh Reh
- Nga Reh
- Pray Reh
- Ree Reh
- Simon C. Zam
- Tee Reh
- Ti Reh
- Young Bal Cangmah
Details regarding four additional defendants remain undisclosed in the court documentation, leaving their identities unknown.
The indictment accuses the defendants of illegally hunting over $200,000 worth of wildlife, including species such as bighorn sheep, elk, pronghorn, and turkey, within Yavapai, Coconino, and Maricopa counties between 2018 and 2021. Among the allegations is a particularly brutal incident where two defendants purportedly killed a deer by striking its head with a rock.
This legal pursuit coincides with ongoing investigations into the recent death of an endangered Mexican Gray Wolf near Flagstaff, as well as several deer killings in Coconino County earlier this year.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has confirmed that the endangered Mexican gray wolf was discovered dead to the west of Flagstaff in November 2024, intensifying concerns over wildlife conservation efforts in the region.
—
Read More Arizona News
