South African PH Indicted by USFWS for Illegal Elephant Hunts

[meltingfeather]

Bad deal.

DENVER – Hanno Van Rensburg, age 44, of South Africa, was charged with federal crimes related to illegal elephant hunts in an indictment unsealed in United States District Court for the District of Colorado, announced U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement (FWS-OLE) Special Agent in Charge Steve Oberholtzer.

Full article.

[HeyMikey]

And after cooking up such a fool-proof, plan, no less

[Mudslinger]

Here is his website. Claims to be Africa's largest outfitter, not anymore probably!

http://authenticafricanadventures.org/home/

[SaltwaterSlick]

I must be missing something... How can a US Court charge anyone from South Africa, Zimbabwe, or anywhere else for crimes that are not in the US and not residents of the US?? Not saying I condone with the guy did, but how does the USA have ANY jurisdiction?

What am I missing in the article?

[WItoTX]

Edit: See Saltwater's post.

[tradtiger]

Apparently blatant flaunting of game laws in this case, but I'm curious how the U.S. government plans to prosecute and punish a citizen of South Africa. In absentia? Do we have an extradition agreement with South Africa? Interesting ramifications regarding government officials' corruption over there, as well.

[Killer]

So how will this work if he is a resident of Africa? Will they ship him over here?

Saltwater beat me to it

[tradtiger]

Three of us just had the same thought on jurisdiction.

[systemnt]

going out on a limb and guess he was arrested in a sting in the US?

[Atfulldraw]

I must be missing something... How can a US Court charge anyone from South Africa, Zimbabwe, or anywhere else for crimes that are not in the US and not residents of the US?? Not saying I condone with the guy did, but how does the USA have ANY jurisdiction?

What am I missing in the article?

In addition, the defendant allegedly attempted to sell an illegal elephant hunt to an undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agent.

I'm guessing it would be this part.

But he isn't wrong -- that's exactly how it works in Africa.

[Atfulldraw]

Apparently blatant flaunting of game laws in this case, but I'm curious how the U.S. government plans to prosecute and punish a citizen of South Africa. In absentia? Do we have an extradition agreement with South Africa? Interesting ramifications regarding government officials' corruption over there, as well.

did you read the article?

it just takes money and Africa will do just about anything...

[Landrover]

The hunting community continues to be it's own worst enemy! More ammo for the anti's. [emoji37] I have never heard of this guy.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[tradtiger]

did you read the article?

it just takes money and Africa will do just about anything...

Yes, I read the article, and nowhere does the press release state WHERE the defendant was charged or HOW the U.S. government intends to prosecute a foreign citizen. It's not clear if the undercover operative's interactions with the defendant occurred in the United States or elsewhere. As a former newspaper editor, I find this information basic and lacking in the current piece.

There is little to doubt regarding the rampant corruption described. The part I find interesting is simply how one set of government officials (South Africa) will deal with alleged criminal activity by one of its citizens as well as corruption by officials of a neighboring country (Zimbabwe) when those charges are brought by a third foreign country (the U.S.).

[toledo]

I don't like it but I don't see how it's the US governments business. If they were assisting the Zimbabwe government, then maybe. Looks to me like we should be after them as the root of the problem if we want to stick our nose in things.

[Buff]

I don't see it as any of our governments business.

So I was Told...............

Our government did not like the way I was able to do my bow hunt for Elephant in Mozambique.
We broke no law or even came close to breaking one but someone with our Fish and Wildlife didn't like it.

I am not even sure how it would have came to their attention as I did not try to import any part of the one I shot.

The fellow I went with booked 4 more hunts for the next year and built a camp.
It took our government no more than 6 months to pressure ( find the right person in Mozambique to bribe ) Mozambique to outlaw hunting Elephants with a bow.

My tax dollars at work....

None of our business what those folks do in their own country JMO