Corinth man faces 50K fine for killing protected birds

OXFORD (US ATTORNEY OFFICE RELEASE)

William C. Lamar, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi,
and Luis Santiago, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced that Frederick Alvin Corder, 53, of Corinth, Mississippi, was sentenced Wednesday to pay a
$50,000 fine for his role in trapping and killing migratory birds. In addition to the fine, Corder was placed on probation for a term of two years. As a condition of his probation, Corder will be prohibited from hunting anywhere in the world or participating in field trials for a period of two (2) years.
Corder was previously found guilty of eight counts charging him with violating the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act (“MBTA”) and one count of conspiracy to violate the MBTA following a bench trial on August 6-7, 2018, before United States Magistrate Judge David A. Sanders, in Oxford, Mississippi. Each count pertained to the taking or attempted taking of migratory birds of prey, including hawks and owls, on Cedar Oak Plantation in Marshall County, Mississippi. Corder, who utilized Cedar Oak Plantation for purposes of releasing pen-raised quail for field trials and the training of bird dogs, participated in a scheme over a three to four year period to trap and kill hawks and owls that might prey upon the released quail.
“We take our mission working with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and
Parks and the citizens of Mississippi in conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats very seriously,” said United States Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent in Charge Santiago. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement will continue to work closely with our State partners to assist them in these important investigations.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to hold accountable those individuals who choose to violate the law by abusing our environment,” stated U.S. Attorney Lamar.
This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law
Enforcement and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. The case was
prosecuted for the United States by AUSA Robert Mims.