Michigan hunters sentenced in Ohio deer poaching case after undercover investigation

FOX 2 - Eleven hunters were charged and sentenced in an Ohio deer poaching case that started in 2023, including five from Michigan.

The backstory:

The case was centered around a group of Michigan hunters who harvested multiple bucks, illegally spotlighting and shooting them at night, and not properly tagging the deer, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

A tip to a wildlife officer in 2023 sparked the investigation, followed by a second tip to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources communications center a few weeks later.

"Investigators infiltrated the group and gathered information, photos, and videos from the suspects and witnessed numerous wildlife violations that confirmed the allegations from the TIP calls," said a statement from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on its Facebook page.

Wildlife officers with help from the Guernsey County Sheriff's Office and their drone, converged on hunters while hunting in January, 2025. Officers contacted five hunters in Guernsey County while other suspects were contacted in Ohio and Michigan with the help of the Michigan DNR.

Among the charges were jacklighting, an unethical and illegal hunting method that uses lights to stun deer making them easier to shoot.

Dig deeper:

James Barrett (age 28, of Harrison Township, Michigan)
Convicted in Licking County Municipal Court for the following counts:
• Jacklighting, hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, failing to game check a deer.
• Sentence included: $500 restitution, $169 court costs, three-year hunting license revocation, 60 days jail suspended.

Barrett was also convicted in Muskingum County Court for the following counts:
• Jacklighting (two counts), hunting with aid of a motor vehicle (two counts), state property litter (deer carcass), theft of a cellular trail camera.
• Sentence included: 90 days jail with 12 days jail served, 36 months non-reporting probation, 300 days of house arrest ($3600 paid for GPS ankle monitor), three-year hunting license revocation, $179.98 restitution to the cellular trail camera owner.

Todd Brown, 51, of Atlanta, Michigan
Convicted in Muskingum County Court for the following counts:
• Hunt deer without a non-resident hunting license (two counts), hunt deer without a non-resident deer permit (two counts), jacklighting, fail to game check deer (two counts).
• Sentence included: $9400.20 restitution, three-year hunting license revocation, forfeit of two sets of deer antlers, 300 days jail suspended, five years non-reporting probation.

Paul Laurain, 42 of Sterling Heights
Convicted in the Cambridge Municipal Court for the following counts:
• Aiding (two counts, fail to wear hunter orange during muzzleloader season.
• Sentence included: $300 fine, $338 court costs, $550 restitution in lieu of 55 hours of community service, three-year hunting license revocation.

James Laurain, 71 of Sterling Heights
Convicted in the Cambridge Municipal Court for the following counts:
• Fail to game check deer, fail to wear hunter orange during muzzleloader season.
• Sentence included: $200 fine, $208 court costs, $250 restitution (doe), $300 restitution in lieu of 30 hours community service, three-year hunting license revocation.

Jonathan Ricker, 51 of Washington Twp. Michigan
Convicted in the Cambridge Municipal Court for the following counts:
• Hunt deer without non-resident deer permit, fail to game check deer, provide false information while game checking a deer.
• Sentence included: $300 fine, $338 court costs, $250 restitution (doe), $450 restitution in lieu of 45 hours of community service, three-year hunting license revocation.

 The other six suspects, one as old as 80 years old, all hailed from Ohio or West Virginia.