Man pleads guilty to illegally shipping deer for hunt

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A man has pleaded guilty to charges that accuse him of illegally shipping white-tailed deer from Ohio to his hunting preserve in Florida.

Federal prosecutors in Columbus say 49-year-old Donald Wainwright Sr. of Live Oak, Florida, pleaded guilty Friday to charges that include illegal wildlife trafficking and conspiracy.

As part of the plea agreement, Wainwright is facing 21 months in prison and a $125,000 fine.

Court documents said Wainwright was the owner of hunting preserves in western Ohio and in north Florida. Prosecutors say he illegally shipped deer to Florida from Ohio, and attempted to ship deer to Georgia from Ohio.

The herds involved were not certified to be free from chronic wasting disease and other infections. Federal law requires interstate shipment of deer to be certified free of disease.

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