This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The mayor of Hurricane pleaded guilty Wednesday to amended criminal charges for his role in a poaching incident on property he owns in southern Utah.
In a signed statement, John Wayne Bramall, 59, pleaded guilty in Kane County's 6th District Court to two counts of class A misdemeanor aiding or assisting the wanton destruction of protected wildlife. One of the counts was originally filed as a third-degree felony, but later reduced to a class A misdemeanor.
Judge Marvin Bagley sentenced Bramall to one year in jail on each count, but suspended the jail time on condition of completion of 18 months probation. He also must pay a fine of $500 and $4,200 in restitution to the Help Stop Poaching Fund.
The charges stem from a hunting incident last year on property owned by Bramall in Kane County that is designated for raising domestic elk, the county's lead prosecutor Robert Van Dyke said in November.
State law allows for elk hunting inside the "high fence area" boundaries of the property, Van Dyke said, but other animals — such as mule deer — are protected.
On Oct. 22, Bramall allowed two men to illegally hunt deer on his property, Van Dyke said. Separate criminal charges were filed against both men.
Division of Wildlife Resources officers witnessed all three men leave the property, but the two hunters were in a different vehicle than Bramall, Van Dyke said. The officers performed a traffic stop and arrested the two hunters. Bramall drove away because he had not been stopped by the officers.
Later, officers contacted Bramall and arranged for him to come to the Kane County jail to be booked on Oct. 27, Van Dyke said. Bramall posted bail and was immediately released.
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