This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A 36-year-old man guilty of poaching was sentenced Monday to community service and probation and will not be allowed to hunt in Utah for the next 45 years.
Jarod Birrell, 36, of Magna, was sentenced in 3rd District Court to three counts of wanton destruction of protected wildlife in connection with a 2010 investigation in which authorities found several illegally taken bucks, including some considered trophies, two young bull elk and four doe deer after executing search warrants for Birrell's home in Magna, a business in Murray and several vehicles.
Birrell faced up to 15 years in state prison after pleading guilty in December to the third-degree felony charges.
Instead, Judge Denise Lindberg ordered Birrell to perform 150 hours of community service, spend five years on probation and pay $30,000 in restitution to the Help Stop Poaching Fund, which pays rewards to hunters who help catch and convict poachers. His hunting license will be suspended for the next 45 years in the state; he will also be barred from owning any firearms.
At the time of Birrell's 2010 arrest, officials credited an anonymous tip with catching several poachers illegally taking wildlife from across the state, including Washington, Salt Lake, Morgan and Wasatch counties.
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