Oklahoman Sentenced In East Texas For Federal Wildlife Violation

Tyler, Texas – U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs announces that the Eastern District of Texas has sentenced an Oklahoma man for federal wildlife violations.

Dusty Caudill, 37, of Ardmore, OK, pleaded guilty to the transportation of wildlife in violation of state law, a violation of the U.S. Lacey Act, and was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on December 19, 2023.

According to information presented in court, in February of 2021, Caudill conspired with co-defendants David Bartlett and Darryl Garcia to transport stolen African elephant ivory tusks from Ardmore, Oklahoma, to Tyler for sale. Someone had taken the tusks in the burglary of a residence in Ada, Oklahoma, in late 2020. Bartlett negotiated the tusks deal with a person he believed to be a resident of Houston for $10,700.00.

The investigation 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 car. Garcia then picked up Bartlett, and the two of them drove the tusks to Tyler, where they believed they would meet with the Houston buyer. Instead, it was federal wildlife agents.

African elephants are a protected wildlife species under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The term “wildlife” includes any part of the animal. The U.S. Lacey Act prohibits the transportation of endangered species valued at more than $350.00 in interstate commerce in violation of federal or state law.

This case was investigated by special agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.