LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WKRC) — Scottie Shelton, 54, of Laurel County, Kentucky, has been charged following a large-scale poaching and drug bust, authorities confirmed.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a joint investigation that uncovered illegal wildlife poaching alongside a significant drug operation.
The DEA alerted authorities on August 12 about a possible deer poaching case during an unrelated probe. A search warrant was obtained for Shelton’s property, where officers found:
24 illegally taken whitetail deer heads and skulls
Four turkey beards
Two sets of turkey feet
Two bobcats
A red-tailed hawk head with talons
With the help of K9 River, officers searched a two-story dirt-floored garage. River’s alerts led to the discovery of 5.7 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 6,557 oxycodone pills buried several feet underground in PVC containers. Drug paraphernalia and marijuana residue were also found upstairs.
The DEA is handling drug-related charges, while poaching charges have been filed by Warden Creech, who led the investigation.
