TWRA
‘Twas the night after Christmas 2024 when Tennessee wildlife officers were gifted a tip that would turn into a yuge multi-agency investigation, containing more than 160 violations and a side of exotic wildlife thrown in the mix.
It was December 26th, 2024, and with the post-Christmas glow still lingering and just about everyone in the county half-asleep on leftover ham, Tennessee Wildlife Officer Justin Pinkston was wide awake and responded to a report of possible road-hunting in Jefferson County. With help from a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy, who had already stopped the vehicle in question, Pinkston rolled up ready to blow this thing wide open.
The vehicle was occupied by Marcus Duignan, 19, and Malina Allen, 22, both of Strawberry Plains, along with a juvenile male. In addition to uncovering a five-point buck head riding in the bed of the truck, Pinkston was able to determine that the group had already shot and killed two additional whitetails from the roadway.
In what might have originally felt like a routine poaching stop soon turned into a whole lot more. The further investigating officers dug in, the more interesting this case turned out to be. Following a consensual search of a mobile phone, wildlife officers were treated to a greatest-hits album of wildlife crime that included spotlighting at night, out-of-season kills, absolutely zero tags, and even some revoked hunters getting in on the action. Officials said the videos also depicted additional accomplices blasting two elk and four more deer over in Kentucky.
And then, in an effort to go full Florida Man while in Tennessee, the phone revealed photos of two live American alligators in their possession along with a False Water Cobra, a delightfully venomous South American nightmare.
Deer, elk, snakes and gators, oh my! | TWRA
The investigation quickly snowballed to include codefendants Tanner Smelcer, 25, and Jessica Bostrom, 25, both of Knoxville, leading officers to file a total of 142 wildlife charges in Tennessee, while Kentucky authorities charged Smelcer and the juvenile with 18 violations each.
Authorities seized multiple firearms, bows, and (carefully) took possession of a pair of American alligators, and a False Water Cobra. In Tennessee, alligators and certain exotic/venomous reptiles are classified as Class I wildlife, requiring special permits that the group did not possess.
Tanner Smelcer | TWRA
Convictions and Penalties in Tennessee
Tanner Smelcer: $8,158.75 in fines and restitution; 10-year revocation of hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges; unsupervised probation in multiple counties; must retake hunter education.
Marcus Duignan: $1,388 in fines and court costs; 2-year revocation of privileges.
Malina Allen: $1,259 in fines and court costs; 1-year revocation; unsupervised probation.
Jessica Bostrom: $1,000 in restitution plus additional costs; 1-year revocation of hunting privileges.
Juvenile: $3,350 in fines; 2-year revocation; must retake hunter education.
Kentucky Penalties (Smelcer and Juvenile)
Smelcer pleaded guilty to five charges, receiving approximately $5,000 in fines plus $4,804.27 in restitution and a 3-year suspension of hunting privileges. Details on the juvenile’s Kentucky disposition were not publicly released.
“I am very thankful to everyone who assisted with this case. Thank you to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement, the Tennessee 4th, 5th, and 8th Judicial Districts, Officer Colby Griffin, and all the officers in Region 4 who contributed to this effort, said Officer Pinkston. “Poachers are thieves who steal from the sportsmen and women of Tennessee, and we are very thankful to have been able to uncover all of these violations.”
