SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Office of Law Enforcement has announced court action in three separate wildlife cases in Calhoun County, Illinois. Two cases were a result of joint efforts with the Illinois Conservation Police and wildlife officers in multiple states.
After a six-month investigation in multiple Illinois counties and eight other states, Weldon "Jesse" Bean of Bourbonnais, Illinois was charged with outfitting without a license and outfitting while wildlife privileges are revoked. Wildlife officers from Ohio, Michigan, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan and Arkansas assisted with the investigation. Bean's hunting privileges were revoked after an arrest in a 2011 Unlawful Taking of White-tailed Deer case in Kankakee County.
In an unrelated case, Illinois charges were filed against Joe Slye of Cartersville, Georgia for providing outfitter services without a license, the unlawful take of an antlered deer without an either-sex deer permit, the unlawful possession of a white-tailed deer, and failure to report harvest. The investigation was centered on Slye, owner of 8up With It Outdoors, and his associates taking antlered deer in Illinois while only in possession of non-resident antlerless-only deer permits. Officers with the Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division assisted with the investigation. One buck was seized from Slye and two other bucks were seized from Slye's associates. Additional charges against the associates are pending. In a third case, Michael Tomlanovich of Wood River, Illinois pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors following a 2014 investigation into illegally obtained landowner deer permits and the unlawful taking of white-tailed deer. His total fines and court costs were $7,232. The investigation was centered on Tomlanovich fraudulently applying for resident landowner deer permits for several non-hunting members of his family. A total of 21 white-tailed bucks were seized from Tomlanovich and his hunting associate, David Cox of Roxana, Illinois. The case against Cox is still pending.
If anyone has information about illegal activities in the field, they are encouraged to call the IDNR Target Illinois Poacher Hotline at 1-877-2DNRLAW (1-877-236-7529). Follow the IDNR on Facebook and Twitter
