P R E S S R E L E A S E

DEEP EnCon Police Arrest Five Men for
Illegal Deer Hunting on Opening Day of Season

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police today arrested five men on charges of illegally hunting for deer on private land in Cornwall.

While conducting routine patrols on the opening day of the firearms deer season, EnCon officers saw the men allegedly hunting on private property and determined that they did not have the required written permission from the property owner to hunt at the location. In addition, officers said that none of the five were wearing the 400 square inches of fluorescent orange required by law for safety reasons.

Arrested were: Randy P. Harris, 30, of Mystic; Gregory Dubrule, 60, of Groton; Ryan Dubrule, 28, of Groton; Michael Wagner, 25, of Gales Ferry; and Stephen Hickey, 47, of Groton.

EnCon officers reported that when apprehended, Wagner was allegedly in possession of an AR-15 style rifle in a caliber that is not permitted for deer hunting in Connecticut. Also found in the hunting cabin where the five were allegedly staying was a .22 caliber rifle with a homemade silencer, which is illegal to possess or to hunt with.

All five were charged with deer hunting without written consent of the property owner and failure to wear fluorescent orange. Harris, Wagner and Hickey were also charged with illegal deer hunting. Each of the charges carries a possible penalty of a $200 to $500 fine and/or imprisonment.

EnCon Police seized six rifles of various calibers including the .22 with the silencer and the AR-15 style rifle.

All five were released on bond and are due to appear in court in Superior Court in Bantam on December 5.