Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Bibles and Special Agent in Charge -Phillip Land, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced that Jason William Kunkel pleaded guilty Thursday to an Endangered Species Act, Class B misdemeanor for the unlawful take of a Mexican wolf. Kunkel admitted that in December 2017, in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, he shot and killed a wild-born, female Mexican wolf. Kunkel admitted knowing that the animal was a Mexican gray wolf when he killed it. Kunkel was sentenced to five years of unsupervised probation. In addition Kunkel is no longer allowed to engage in any hunting activities; is banned from the National Forests of Arizona, and will pay $7,500 in restitution to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; along with forfeiting his Remington Model 770, bolt action rifle with scope to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Kunkel’s co-defendant, Donald Justin Davis, is scheduled for a status hearing in Flagstaff, AZ on December 20th.
