[tony]

We are posting a news story about the charges against the Morse's with permission of KTVQ in Billings, MT.

The television station has asked for your comments on this case.

Please post your comments here in response to this thread.




Copyright KTVQ, Billings, MT, 2010



Executive with The Villages charged in Montana poaching case
Posted: Nov 4, 2010 11:27 AM by Q2 News
Updated: Nov 4, 2010 1:17 PM


BILLINGS - Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has charged 8 people including a top executive in a Florida retirement community with multiple poaching violations.

The charges stem from a four year investigation involving several counties and multiple agencies.

FWP public information officer Bob Gibson offered the following release and details of the investigation.

Six Florida residents, some of whom own ranches in Montana, have been charged with 18 wildlife violations, including felony crimes, committed during the past four years in Yellowstone and Big Horn counties.

In addition, felony and misdemeanor charges were filed against a Billings-area man and a Utah hunting outfitter accused of aiding the Florida residents in commission of wildlife violations.

The Montana Attorney General's office filed the charges in Billings, Hardin and Helena starting in mid-October.

The defendants are Mark Gary Morse and his wife, MLissa Marie Morse, of The Villages, Fla.; their daughter, Kelsea Louise Morse; James "Ike" Rainey, Lenard Lee Powell and Richard E. Staton of Wildwood, Fla.; Toby Lee Griffith of Billings and David L. Duncan of Huntsville, Utah.

Mark Morse owns the M Square Ranch in the Pine Ridge area of Yellowstone and Big Horn counties southeast of Pompeys Pillar. Morse and Rainey jointly own the Wolf Mountain Ranch east of Hardin in Big Horn and Rosebud counties.

Mark Morse is president and chief operating officer of The Villages, a massive retirement community 45 miles northwest of Orlando, Fla.

Rainey owns Rainey Construction Co., which does work in The Villages. Powell is listed as president of LPI Curb Service, a concrete construction company that does work in The Villages.

Staton is a former Wolf Mountain Ranch employee.

Griffith is an employee of the M Square Ranch.

Duncan is licensed as a hunting outfitter in Montana.

His licensing records with the Montana Board of Outfitters list his address as Cut Bank, Mont.

Mark Morse is charged with:
• Possessing a trophy mule deer buck in 2006 that was killed in Big Horn County in violation of conditions of an outfitter-sponsored license.
• Helping Rainey with an elk hunt in Big Horn County in September 2008 when neither Morse nor Rainey had an elk license valid in that area.
• Possessing three mule deer bucks in Big Horn County in November 2008 for which there were not proper tags.
• Possession of a bull elk taken in 2006 in Yellowstone County in violation of conditions of an outfitter-sponsored license.
• Killing a bull elk in Yellowstone County in 2007 when he did not have a valid Montana elk license.
• Helping his daughter, Kelsea Morse, kill a wild turkey, for which neither had a license, in the spring of 2007.
• Helping his daughter hunt, shoot and track a bull elk, for which neither had a valid license, in 2008 in Yellowstone County.

All of the charges against Mark Morse of killing or illegally possessing elk and deer are felonies because the animals were classified as trophies or their value exceeded $1,000.

The combined maximum penalties for the charges against Mark Morse total $203,000 in fines, 21.5 years in prison and loss of Montana hunting and fishing privileges.

Rainey is charged with:
• Hunting elk in Big Horn County without a license in September 2008, a misdemeanor.
• Possession of two bull elk and four mule deer killed on two consecutive days in November 2008 in Big Horn County and for which Rainey did not have legal licenses. Because the value of the animals exceeds $1,000, Rainey is charged with a felony.
• Two misdemeanor charges of waste of game in Big Horn County in September 2009. Rainey is accused of killing two elk, then removing only the head from one elk and allowing the meat from both carcasses to rot.

The combined maximum penalties for the charges against Rainey total $53,000 in fines, 6.5 years in prison and loss of Montana hunting and fishing privileges.

MLissa Morse is charged with killing a mule deer buck in Big Horn County in November 2008 without a license. Maximum penalty for the misdemeanor is a $1,000 fine, six months in jail and loss of Montana hunting and fishing privileges.

Kelsea Morris is charged with wounding a bull elk with an arrow in 2008 and killing a turkey in 2007, both on the M Square Ranch, when she had valid Montana licenses to hunt neither. Total possible penalties for the two crimes include a year in jail, $2,000 in fines and loss of Montana hunting and fishing privileges.

Griffith is charged with felony possession of a buck deer and bull elk that were killed by Mark Morse in 2006 in violation of Montana law dealing with outfitter-sponsored licenses. The law requires that the license be used only in the presence of the outfitter and the charges contend that the outfitter, David Duncan, was not present when the animals were killed.

Griffith also is charged with putting his tag on a bull elk shot by Mark Morse in 2007.

Total possible penalties for Griffith include $51,000 in fines, 5.5 years in prison and loss of Montana hunting and fishing privileges.

Duncan is charged in Lewis and Clark County with two felony counts of tampering with public records and a misdemeanor count of purchasing a Montana resident hunting license while he was a resident of Utah. The charges accuse him of buying Montana resident licenses in Helena using his parents' Cut Bank address, though he has lived in Utah since 1998. The felony charges accuse Duncan of falsifying required outfitter license documents, applications for hunting licenses and client logs.

Total penalties for Duncan could include $101,000 in fines, 20.5 years in prison and loss of Montana hunting and fishing privileges.

Powell is accused of illegal possession of two bull elk and four mule deer killed in Big Horn County in November 2008. The combined value of the animals exceeds $1,000 so Powell is charged with a felony. The crime carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $50,000 fine and loss of Montana hunting and fishing privileges.

Staton is charged with two misdemeanors in Big Horn County and one misdemeanor in Yellowstone County in November 2008. He is accused of using his licenses to tag a deer and an elk that he did not kill. And he is accused of possessing a mule deer that was illegally killed in South Dakota. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Additional charges are pending against 10 other people identified during the investigation.

[bike42]

Originally Posted by tony

The television station has asked for your comments on this case.

Really? Of what possible value could our comments be in the interests of fairness and justice?

[Larryandlinda]

Originally Posted by bike42

Really? Of what possible value could our comments be in the interests of fairness and justice?

the comments would serve the same value as the entire 'Morse to Prison?"
thread on TOTV, or for that matter about as much value as
most of the 48 hours, reality TV, MSNBC predator and Prison shows, DATELINE, and most similar garbage we saw in the days when we had a working Television

With the advent of these keyboards and screens, we're engaged in 'Tabloid Typing"


L and L

[ladylake1]

What type of comments are they looking for? My comment is no comment. Not sure this is an appropriate request IMHO.

[salpal]

I agree with you, it is NOT proper for any of us to comment, you know they are just looking for some kind of dirt to put on the television. With all the nasty political ads recently and disgusting reality shows, I think we should refuse to fuel more of this type of media.

[rhsgypsylady]

In reference to Tony's below post of the story about charges against the Morse's in Billings, MT, I offer this.

After reading the post and adding up all the potential fines and prison time for all involved (not counting the unknamed 10) - here's the outcome:

$462,000 in fines and 61 prison years. Interesting observation. Just think how much good use could come to this country with that money - food banks, abuse shelters, education, clothes & shoes for kids whose parents can't afford them, medical expenses for those who can't afford the care, etc. What a waste.

And the 61 years of prison time could be used for community service areas where these is no budget or money to afford necessities - maintaining city parks, cleaning up litter across highways, working in food banks, etc. There is never enough volunteers.

I'm not saying this money would cure the problems of this country, nor would it even put a dent. However, helping a few is much better than helping no one. And as for the prison time being spent on community service - that's way better than the taxpayers paying to house/feed the offenders in prison for 61 years. Our taxes could go to better use.

That's my comment. And before anybody jumps on it, this is just my input and my opinion - right or wrong. I'm not taking sides with anyone; I'm not saying anyone is guilty or not guilty; I'm not saying who should be fined, how much, if at all, or or who should be given prison time, how much, or if at all. I'm only making an observation of where money and time of this kind could be put to valuable uses. And not just in this particular case but in many cases that involve fines and/or prison time.

[MelZ]

At this time they are only charged with a crime, until convicted by a Jury I see not point in commenting.

[mokey]

These dates for offenses are so old, how come they are now just now charging them???
Again these are just charges.

[l2ridehd]

I will comment. KTVQ is trying to do what every other garbage media tries to do. Convict someone in the public view before they get to court. I will support their right to a fair trail and not convict them in the press before a trial happens. Need to identify their advertisers and boycott them. Make them feel it in their revenue and just maybe they will stop such tactics,

[The Shadow]

I am all for talking over the back fence (I know we do not have fences it’s a term) but I have nothing to say to KTVQ till after the trial if then. Thanks for asking.

[JenAjd]

It all comes down to gossip. We weren't "there"...we don't know what actually happened and truthfully it's none of our business! It doesn't affect our day to day lives and it's not appropriate as some have already stated here. I don't know the man or his family and it's not appropriate to express an opinion even on this subject.

[chuckster]

[QUOTE=tony;305623]We are posting a news story about the charges against the Morse's with permission of KTVQ in Billings, MT.

The television station has asked for your comments on this case.

Please post your comments here in response to this thread.


It's your board and obviously can post what you want. I personally will not participate in a public lynching prior to a fair hearing. Even then I won't join in the mob hysteria. In other words "No Comment" regarding the charges.

[joannej]

I wonder if the authorities were tipped off by a Morse-disgruntled employee, and I wonder too how the hunting authorities got this information about the Morse's hunting habits. You think something should have been said to the Morse family when all of this started.

[duffysmom]

I have zero respect for the news media in this country. That's my comment and you may use it.

[dgammon6]

No comment