RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) – A Whitewood man accused of guiding illegal hunting trips on the Pine Ridge Reservation is expected to plead guilty to federal charges of wildlife trafficking.
A plea agreement says both the prosecution and defense will ask a judge to sentence Everett MacKaben Jr. to three years of probation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began investigating after receiving a tip from a tribal ranger.
Authorities say MacKaben had been paid to guide deer hunts on the reservation for several years without proper hunting licenses. He also prepared meat and did taxidermy in a cabin for his clients.
The deal also requires MacKaben to pay a $10,000 federal fine and nearly $27,000 in restitution to the Oglala Sioux.
Plea deal: Probation in wildlife trafficking case
