Environment | Law

Ojibwe man from Canada charged for possession of wild animals





Federal and state agents raided the home of an Ojibwe man from Canada who lives in New York.

John P. Volpe was charged in state court with 190 counts of unlawful possession of wildlife, including turtles protected under state law. Although agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service participated in the February 10 raid, it does not appear that he's been charged in federal court.

“He’s not a dealer in anything. He’s a very spiritual Native American," attorney George V.C. Muscato told The Buffalo News.

Volpe is Mississauga from Ontario. A federal agent said he isn't a member of a federally recognized tribe in the U.S. so he can't qualify for an exception in federal law regarding eagle feathers and eagle parts.

Federal agents seized Volpe's eagle feathers and eagle staff, the newspaper said.

Get the Story:
Man facing wildlife violations looks to his native culture as a defense (The Buffalo News 4/15)

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