SACRAMENTO— On August 4, 2023, Carlos T. Ortiz, 27, of Live Oak, pleaded guilty to transportation and receipt of untagged migratory game birds and was subsequently sentenced in federal court to a three-year hunting ban, three years of probation, and a $1,000 fine

According to court documents, Ortiz helped organize and participated in a 10-person goose hunt near the Sutter National Wildlife Refuge in Sutter County. During the hunt, Ortiz and others shot and killed 258 snow geese and white-fronted geese. Snow geese and white-fronted geese are migratory game birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. None of the birds were tagged as required by law.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

“Thank you to the law enforcement officers at CDFW and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for investigating this unlawful act and working to protect our fish, game and wildlife,” said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA).