Facebook post leads to Nevada wildlife poaching bust

RENO, Nev. — Posting cute photos of your pets on Facebook is a quick way to get some easy "likes" from friends and family. Posting photos of your illegal wildlife killing exploits is a quick way to get a visit from game wardens.

That's what several men in Nevada found out the hard way after Nevada Department of Wildlife authorities used a Facebook post featuring illegally killed deer to unravel a poaching ring. Besides the illegal killing of dozens of animals, authorities found the ring fraudulently obtained hunting licenses and illegally possessed rifles and shotguns — three of the men also are suspected of being in the United States illegally.

Game Warden Cameron Waithman said the investigation that led to state and federal charges against several men started in June 2013, with an ill-advised Facebook post showing three men with two dead deer near Hiko, Nev.

Waithman said investigators identified Jose Manuel Ortega-Torres, 30, of Lincoln County, Nev., as one of the people in the photo.

"We figured out basically where he lived and believed we had enough for a search warrant right there," said Waithman. "That's when I started looking at his Facebook page."

During the search investigators found evidence of illegally killed deer, migratory birds, butchering tools, weapons and ammunition.

"It was surprising it was so blatant," he said.

Investigators used evidence from Ortega-Torres' home and Facebook posts to lead them to Las Vegas, where they identified Adrian Acevedo-Hernandez, 36, Jose Luis Montufar-Canales, 31, and J. Nemias Reyes Marin, 31, who authorities say were "actively engaging in several different wildlife crimes, prompting an in-depth investigation of the three men by game wardens."

In addition to the illegally killed deer in Hiko, authorities found evidence of illegal deer killing in Elko County, Nev., and fraudulently obtained hunting licenses and tags. They also found evidence of federal crimes, prompting the involvement of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Homeland Security to join the investigation into potential violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and federal gun laws.

According to authorities, Acevedo-Hernandez, Montufar-Canales and Marin are suspected to be in the United States illegally. It is a felony for people in the U.S. illegally to possess firearms. The three men are currently in federal custody.

So far the men have already been convicted of several crimes and are facing charges on others.

According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife:

• Montufar-Canales was convicted in Churchill County, Nev., of using false information to obtain a hunting license

• Acevedo-Hernandez was convicted in Lincoln County, Nev., of unlawful possession of two mule deer and ordered to pay $5,000 in fines and civil penalties and to forfeit six firearms

• Acevedo-Hernandez also was convicted in Elko County for another incident of illegal possession of a deer and ordered to forfeit a rifle and his truck

• Marin pleaded guilty in Elko County for illegal possession of a mule deer and is awaiting sentencing.

Waithman said the incident has opened his eyes to the power of Facebook as a tool for investigations. He also said authorities are working on other cases in which people thought to be in the United States illegally are violating wildlife and gun laws by hunting illegally.

"It has obviously opened our eyes," he said. "I think this problem is more prevalent than we believe."