Petersburg man, 22-year-old Dustin Haviland appeared in Superior Court in Petersburg on Wednesday before Judge Carey for jury trial in connection to charges of Unlawful Possession of Game and Unlawful Trap Bait during the 2011 – 2012 trapping season.
Haviland was issued two summons by Alaska wildlife Troopers from the Petersburg post on August 8, 2013 after an investigation found that he had used edible meat of a Black Tailed Deer that had been taken illegally and used it to bait his trapline.
In court, Haviland was found guilty of the charges and was sentenced to pay a $1500 fine with $1000 suspended for Unlawful Possession of Game, he was also sentenced to pay a $1500 fine with $1000 suspended plus a $50 surcharge for using Game Food for bait. Haviland was ordered to forfeit his traps, and his trapping license was suspended until January 1, 2015. He was also placed on probation for a period of two years.