Area man, three more people formally charged with suspected deer poaching after ODNR investigation – WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio

“Blinded by greed, the defendants sought fame and fortune while ignoring basic hunting regulations,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. “Instead of the cover of Field & Stream, their notoriety will be a booking photo.”

An investigation by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife found that Alexander had illegally hunted the trophy buck on private property about 10 miles from his sister’s land.

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Wildlife officials found this out through cell phone data queries. They later learned that his sister’s written permission, which he had presented to wildlife officials after killing the deer, had been forged to mislead authorities.

Further evidence revealed that Alexander, with the help of 29-year-old Corey Haunert of Hillsboro and his brother, 31-year-old Zachary Haunert of Lebanon, staged the deer hunt on his sister’s property to cover up the poaching.

The investigation also revealed that Corey Haunert assisted Alexander in deer poaching on multiple occasions by providing the crossbow used for hunting and, along with his brother Zachery Haunert, assisting in the recovery and staging of deer. Alexander’s sister, 37-year-old Kristina Alexander of Blanchester, is accused of forging the date of the written hunting permit.

Alexander was found to have fraudulently profited from illegally trapping deer, selling deer antlers, and receiving payments totaling $20,000 from an antler collector, a hunting magazine, and a company that sells deer products.

According to a news release from Yost’s office, the deer is the largest typical white-tailed deer in Ohio and “displays remarkable antler uniformity.” Some reports also call the deer the third largest typical white-tailed deer in North America.

“This unique deer embodies the great natural resources Ohio has to offer,” Yost added. “It is shameful that this deer ended up in an evidence room instead of adorning the wall of an ethical hunter as a valuable trophy.”

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There are a total of 23 charges against Alexander:

• Five counts each: illegally hunting deer without written permission and taking possession of a deer in violation of a subdivision rule, which are third-degree misdemeanors.
• Three counts of theft by deception, fourth- and fifth-degree felonies.
• Two counts each: hunting without a license, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, hunting deer without a valid deer permit, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
• One count each of theft, a third-degree misdemeanor, theft, a first-degree misdemeanor, forgery, a first-degree misdemeanor, and selling wildlife parts, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

There are eight charges against Corey Haunert:

• Four counts of aiding and abetting a wildlife offender, a third-degree misdemeanor.
• Two counts of hunting without written permission, a third-degree misdemeanor.
• One count each of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and forgery, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Alexander’s sister, Kristina Alexander, faces one count of forgery, a first-degree misdemeanor, and one count of aiding and abetting a wildlife offender, a third-degree misdemeanor.

Zachary Haunert is charged with two counts of aiding and abetting a wildlife offender.

The cases are being prosecuted by attorneys from Yost’s Environmental Enforcement Division.