Poaching suspects face new felonies
Staff writer
A Hillsboro man and three others accused in a sprawling trophy-deer poaching investigation near the Marion County line now face at least 16 felony charges apiece in Morris County.
Morris County Attorney Michelle Brown, who also serves as Marion County attorney, has filed amended complaints Aug. 6 against Hillsboro resident Tyler Dickerson, Michael Bockman, Brody Harrison, and Spencer Harshman.
The Marion County Record first reported the investigation in November, 2024, when wildlife officials said as many as 40 deer had been illegally shot, with their antlers harvested and carcasses left to rot.
Their Morris County cases previously consisted entirely of misdemeanors.
Each amended complaint sets out 69 charging allegations, including 16 counts of commercialization of wildlife. The felony charges allege the men were involved with deer worth at least $1,000 that were captured, killed, or possessed for profit or commercial purposes.
Each commercialization charge is a severity-level 10 nonperson felony carrying a possible 13 months in prison and fine of up to $100,000.
Equipment used in the alleged offenses also could be confiscated, hunting privileges could be revoked for as long as 20 years, and restitution could be ordered.
The amended complaints allege wanton waste, unlawful taking or dealing in wildlife, hunting on private property without permission, unlawful firearm discharge, interference with law enforcement, and conspiracy.
The felony charges resulted after Brown spent hours with wildlife and parks officers reviewing the investigation and applicable statutes.
“They told me everything, and then we walked through all the statutes,” Brown said. “I mean, like, I took pages of notes.”
That review led to the amended complaints, she said.
According to Brown, the KDWP considers the investigation complete.
Poaching was reported primarily in Morris County, with complaints also in Chase County.
By October, 2025, Brown was reviewing a KDWP affidavit alleging more than 300 violations involving killings in Morris, Chase, and Greenwood counties.
All four men are scheduled for preliminary-examination status at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 27.
Two defense attorneys declined to comment on the case as it continues to proceed. A third did not answer.
All four also face charges stemming from an investigation in Chase County, where their cases advanced after preliminary proceedings July 24.
Bockman and Dickerson are scheduled for pretrial conferences Aug. 24; Harrison and Harshman are scheduled for pretrial conferences Sept. 21.