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Grand Jury Indicts Popular Bowhunting Couple

Nebraska — A federal Grand Jury is recommending charges, including alleged Lacey Act violations, against a husband-and-wife couple who have made a name for themselves in the hunting industry through their online bowhunting videos.

In a 20-page document, filed by by United States Attorney Joseph P. Kelly in late July, Josh Bowmar, Sarah Bowmar and their company, Bowmar Bowhunting LLC of Westerville, Ohio, are listed as defendants in allegations stemming from hunting activities in the state of Nebraska from 2015 to 2017.

It should be noted that the couple has not been convicted, and they should be presumed innocent of all charges until proven guilty by a court of law.

According to the complaint, the couple unlawfully, willfully and knowingly conspired, combined, confederated and agreed together and with each other, and with others known to the Grand Jury to commit an offense against the United States. Included in the charges are knowingly transporting, attempting to transport, receive and acquire wildlife, including turkey, deer or parts thereof, in interstate commerce.

A pretrial motion deadline for this case is slated for Nov. 2, 2020. 

U.S. attorneys have asked for a jury trial to be held in Omaha for the charges against the Bowmars. The indictment is also asking for the Bowmars to forfeit a compound bow; a 10-point rack from a buck killed by Josh Bowmar on Dec. 29, 2016; a 10-point rack from a buck killed by Josh Bowmar on Sept. 21, 2017; an 8-point rack from a buck killed by Sarah Bowmar on Sept. 6, 2017; and a sum of money equal to the value of property involved in five counts from the indictment. The indictment did not list a total sum of that monetary request.

The charges are related to the same poaching sting that brought down an owner and operator of Hidden Hills Outfitters LLC (HHO) near Broken Bow, Nebraska.

According to the 20-page Grand Jury indictment, the Bowmars face numerous counts of illegal baiting of wildlife, hunting turkeys without a valid permit, illegally transporting game across state lines, and being a party to other violations.

Previously, in response to this case, the Bowmars had filed a civil-rights suit against the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior on March 4, 2019. That case had listed David Bernhardt of the USFW, and five unnamed John Doe defendants.

As reported earlier in October, a total of 30 defendants have already pled guilty in the poaching sting and paid $570,453 in fines and restitution, and received 53 years’ worth of hunting and fishing permit revocations.

The HHO sting has been called the largest poaching case in the history of the state of Nebraska.

Hidden Hills Outfitters was co-owned by Jacob Hueftle, 30, who is also the company’s chief operator. Hueftle and HHO were sentenced in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon for conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and the Migratory Bird Act. Hueftle will serve 30 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $214,375 in restitution, jointly with his company, to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. As part of his plea agreement, Hueftle is banned from hunting, trapping or engaging in any related business for 15 years after his prison sentence is served.

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