Teresa McMinn
Cumberland Times-News, Md.
KEYSER, W.Va. — West Virginia Natural Resources Police reports state that eight area residents charged with poaching-related crimes managed to elude authorities from autumn into winter, yet technology used to boast of the deer kills ultimately led to their arrests.
NRP from Mineral County recently investigated several complaints in reference to spotlighting from mid September to late December.
NRP Lt. Timothy L. White earlier this week said 223 charges that involve at least 27 antlered bucks taken illegally in Mineral, Grant and Hampshire counties in West Virginia, and parts of Maryland, were filed.
According to Mineral County Magistrate Court, as of Thursday seven of the individuals charged in the case had voluntarily surrendered, at which time each was technically under arrest, and were released on a personal recognizance bond to ensure court appearance.
The NRP reports detail how officers conducted interviews, obtained warrants, confiscated antlers and retrieved cellphone data.
“January 4, 2022, looked through the digital evidence and was able to put dates of kills with the pictures of the bucks that we had already confiscated as well as numerous other bucks that we did not have pictures of,” states an entry in one of hundreds of pages written by NRP officers and filed at the magistrate office. “Several videos were obtained depicting spotlighting and illegal kills ... as well as instant messages, Facebook messages and cellphone location details.”
The charges
Of the 200-plus charges filed in connection with the illegal killing of deer, the only felony counts issued are against Christopher Biggs, born in 1967.
Biggs, who was appointed EMS chief of the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services in 2019, was suspended from his job effective immediately for an “alleged violation of law,” county officials said via press release Tuesday.
According to the magistrate office, he is charged with one count each of felony forgery, felony conspiracy, and released on a $10,000 bond.
The following face misdemeanor charges:
- Tyler Biggs, born in 1998 — Five counts spotlighting, seven counts illegal wildlife possession, six counts conspiracy, two counts failure to register deer, five counts hunting in closed season, five counts hunting from vehicle, five counts loaded firearm in vehicle, and one count exceeding yearly deer limit; $12,000 bond.
- Dalton Dolly, born in 1997 — One count each of spotlighting, hunting in closed season, illegal wildlife possession, conspiracy, hunting from vehicle, and nighttime hunting; $2,500 bond.
- Colton Broadwater, born in 1997 — Two counts failure to register deer, 11 counts spotlighting, 14 counts illegal wildlife possession, eight counts conspiracy, nine counts hunting in closed season, 10 counts hunting from vehicle, 11 counts nighttime hunting, five counts loaded firearm in vehicle, one count uncased firearm in vehicle, five counts trespassing, nine counts exceeding yearly deer limit, one count receiving or transferring stolen property; $27,000 bond.
- Gregory Broadwater, born in 1968 — One count each failure to register deer, illegal wildlife possession, and conspiracy; $1,500 bond.
- Robert Horner Sr., born in 1971 — One count spotlighting, two counts illegal wildlife possession, three counts conspiracy, one count hunting from vehicle, and one count nighttime hunting; $4,500 bond.
- Ivy Rodehaver, born in 1999 — Seven counts each spotlighting, illegal wildlife possession, conspiracy, hunting in closed season, hunting from vehicle, loaded firearm in vehicle, and nighttime hunting; $5,000 bond.
Tyler Biggs and Dolly were Mineral County sheriff deputies at the time of the alleged offenses and reportedly have since resigned from their jobs.
Robert “Beau” Horner Jr. was expected to be at the magistrate office Friday.
No attorneys for the eight people charged had submitted a notice of appearance at the magistrate’s office as of Thursday.
The magistrate office in Grant County on Friday said it had issued an additional bond of $4,000 for Tyler Biggs, and didn’t know if it would receive charges against other individuals related to the case.
The magistrate office in Hampshire County on Friday had not received any charges related to the case.
Maryland Natural Resources Police Public Information Officer Lauren Moses said via email Friday that “charges are still pending.”
A prosecutor from outside Mineral County will be appointed to proceed with the charges, but that individual’s name hasn’t been made public.
Due to past professional relationships with the former sheriff deputies involved in the case, the Mineral County magistrate office will recuse itself from upcoming court proceedings.
“The investigation is currently ongoing, other charges may be pending as the investigation progresses,” a West Virginia NRP press release stated earlier this week. “All persons involved are innocent until proven guilty.”
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