Dusty Caudill, a 37-year-old resident of Ardmore, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for wildlife violations, as announced by U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Caudill pleaded guilty to the transportation of wildlife in violation of state law, a breach of the U.S. Lacey Act, and received his sentence on December 19, 2023, from U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.
Court records indicate that in February 2021, Caudill collaborated with co-defendants David Bartlett and Darryl Garcia to transport stolen African elephant ivory tusks from Ardmore, Oklahoma, to Tyler, Texas, for the purpose of sale. The tusks had been stolen during a burglary in Ada, Oklahoma, in late 2020. Bartlett negotiated the sale with an individual he believed to be a resident of Houston, Texas, agreeing on a price of $10,700.00.
Investigation details revealed that on February 17, 2021, Caudill and Garcia removed the ivory tusks from the trunk of Caudill's car in Ardmore and placed them in Garcia's vehicle. Subsequently, Garcia picked up Bartlett, and together they drove the tusks to Tyler, Texas, anticipating a meeting with the purported buyer from Houston. However, upon arrival, they were confronted by federal wildlife agents.
African elephants are classified as a protected wildlife species under the federal Endangered Species Act. The term "wildlife" encompasses any part of the animal. The U.S. Lacey Act expressly prohibits the transportation of endangered species, valued at over $350.00, in interstate commerce in violation of federal or state law.
The investigation into this case was conducted by special agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.
