(KRON) — A Northern California couple unsuspectingly divulged a number of wildlife crimes to plainclothes officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) while on a flight back from San Diego, according to officials. On Tuesday, CDFW announced plea agreements were reached in the prosecution.
The couple, identified as 24-year-old Byron Lee Fitzpatrick and 28-year-old Shannon Lee Price, both of Chico, were on board a Nov. 2023 flight with two CDFW K-9 officers who were not in uniform. The couple was seated behind the officers while talking about hunting, which led the two parties to start a conversation with each other.
The couple, who were apparently unaware that they were speaking to CDFW officers, disclosed that they were illegally transporting a green sea turtle skull in their carry-on luggage, according to officials. Green sea turtles are a federally listed endangered species and are illegal to possess and transport.
The conversation led Fitzpatrick and Price to also admit to illegally hunting a mountain lion, CDFW said. Additionally, the two talked about a family member’s “trophy room” in Napa County, where multiple taxidermized mountain lions, a wolverine and wolves were illegally mounted.
Search warrants were later executed at the couple’s residence in Chico and the residence of the family member, identified as 64-year-old Harry Vern Fitzpatrick, in Napa County.
Inside the Chico residence, CDFW officers said they located mountain lion claws, a ringtail, a barn owl mount, a spike buck and unlawfully hunted deer. At the Napa County residence, wildlife officers uncovered two taxidermized mountain lions and a taxidermized wolverine.
Mountain lions, ringtails and wolverines are protected species in California, and mounted raptors and raptor parts are illegal to possess without necessary permits. All of the illegally possessed animals and parts were seized as evidence in the investigation.
On Jan. 30, Byron Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to charges in Butte County for the unlawful take and possession of wildlife. He received a $1,865 fine and a one-year probation that prohibits hunting. Price pleaded guilty to the Butte County charge of illegally possessing wildlife and received a $1,015 fine and a one-year probation prohibiting hunting.
In 2024, the couple had pleaded guilty to federal violations of wildlife regulations and were fined $1,000 each.
Harry Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty on Feb. 15, 2024, to two charges in Napa County relating to the mountain lion taxidermies. He was fined $605 and ordered to serve six months probation.
“The individuals involved exhibited a flagrant disregard for laws governing natural resources and are now being held accountable for their actions,” CDFW Chief of Law Enforcement Nathanial Arnold said.
(KRON) — A Northern California couple unsuspectingly divulged a number of wildlife crimes to plainclothes officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) while on a flight back from San Diego, according to officials. On Tuesday, CDFW announced plea agreements were reached in the prosecution. The couple, identified as 24-year-old Byron Lee Fitzpatrick […]
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