Several area men have agreed to thousands of dollars in fines and other penalties for poaching game animals in Montana over several years.

Richard Leblanc and Marc Federico, both of Little Compton, and Stephen Schenk of Westport, were sentenced last month in a plea deal with Montana state prosecutors. They were jointly and individually fined $50,000, given six month suspended sentences, and have lost their Montana hunting, trapping and fishing privileges for 10 years.

The investigation into the men's activities, and those of others, has taken more than two years. It centered on a hunting party led by LeBlanc and their continued poaching activities on and around the Byron Kerr Ranch in Garfield and McCone counties, Montana. From 2005 to 2011, 31 citations were issued to LeBlanc and other members of his hunting parties for numerous violations, Montana officials said. Additional information received in 2014 started the most recent investigation.

“The poachers targeted deer and antelope, but their main focus was the unlawful hunting of mule deer bucks in hunting district 652,” said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Criminal Investigator Steve Marx.

LeBlanc, Federico and Schenck, as well as William Mathews of Florida, were sentenced Jan. 11. 

As part of a plea agreement, they were jointly and individually ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution and received six-month suspended jail sentences.

LeBlanc’s hunting, fishing and trapping privileges were suspended for a period of 10 years while Federico, Schenck and Mathews’ privileges were suspended for eight, seven and two years, respectively. Federico is the owner of the Moose Cafe in Tiverton.

All will be entered into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. LeBlanc, Federico, Schenck, Mathews and Massachusetts resident Joseph Caetano, who was sentenced earlier, cannot accompany anyone hunting, fishing or trapping in Montana during their suspension periods. 

The case revealed evidence of at least 48 unlawfully taken game animals. Charges included: Failing to wear hunter orange, shooting from the roadway, loan and transfer of hunting licenses, taking an overlimit of game animals, waste of game, possession of unlawfully killed deer and antelope, hunting during a closed season, hunting without a valid license, hunting without a valid permit, failure to tag, felony possession of wildlife and conspiracy to commit an offense.