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Hemstreet accused in poaching case
1/12/2005, 1:05 a.m. PT
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Shilo Inns founder Mark Hemstreet and his family and friends have been accused of illegally killing four elk and a black bear at the hotel magnate's Eastern Oregon ranch, authorities said.
The group faces a total of 30 wildlife crimes and violations, The Oregonian reported in its Wednesday editions.
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Hemstreet was cited with several misdemeanors, including unlawfully taking a bull elk without a valid tag, aiding in a game violation, lending a big-game tag and falsely applying for resident-of-Oregon hunting licenses while living in California, court records show.
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Rahn Hostetter, Hemstreet's lawyer, said many of the accusations are false. He criticized the investigation as a questionable way to spend the state's limited amount of law enforcement money.
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Others cited in the case were Hemstreet's wife, Shannon; son, Brian; daughter Staci McDonald; and two associates, David Forni and Republican strategist Gregg Clapper.
The citations carry a maximum penalty of one year in jail. Authorities say it's unlikely any of them will serve jail time if convicted because none has a previous game violation conviction.
Clapper, 54, who has run advertising campaigns for many conservative ballot measures, was also cited for marijuana possession, the newspaper reported. Troopers searching his Portland home before Christmas found marijuana and four pipes, according to court papers.
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