Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries cited three subjects for alleged alligator violations in St. Mary Parish.
Agents with LDWF say the violations occured on on September 6, 2019 in St. Mary Parish.
Agents cited 64-year-old Johnny P. Templet and 62-year-old Patricia M. Templet both of Pierre Part, for removing alligator tags, failing to maintain required records, illegal possession of alligators or skins and intentional concealment of wildlife. Agents also cited Patricia M. Templet for failing to comply with alligator parts tagging requirements.
Agents cited 72-year-old Ellery A. Mayon of Morgan City, for failing to tag alligator upon taking and taking more alligators than he had tags for.
LDWF say that on the night of September 5, 2019, they received a call about an alligator buyer that was removing alligator tags and returning them to the hunter to be used on other alligators. On the morning of September 6, agents visited and questioned Patricia Templet at her place of business in Berwick about removing alligator tags and returning them to the hunter.
After questioning, agents determined that Patricia Templet acquired an 11-foot hide and nine-foot alligator hide and removed the tags and returned them to the hunter. Agents also learned that Templet allegedly did not document acquiring the hides in her records and she had the hides buried on her property.
After finding where the two alligator hides were buried, agents say they also found a whole seven-foot alligator decomposing on the property. Agents learned that Mayon had brought four alligators to Patricia Templet to sell, but since the seven footer on the line had drowned, she didn’t want that one and removed the tag to return to Mayon. Then the owner of the business, Johnny Templet, allegedly put the alligator in the back of his truck and threw it into the weeds where agents discovered it.
Intentional concealment of wildlife brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Illegal possession of alligators or skins and failing to tag alligators upon taking each carries a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail for each offense. Failing to maintain required records brings a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail. Failing to comply with alligator parts tagging requirements, taking more alligators than you have tags and removing alligator tags each carries a $100 to $350 fine and up to 60 days in jail for each offense.
