A conversation between two poachers on a California-bound flight led to a federal investigation after undercover wildlife officers overheard them detailing their illegal hunting activities.
In November 2023, Byron Lee Fitzpatrick, 24, and Shannon Lee Price, 28, spoke freely about their collection of illegal animal trophies while seated near two plainclothes officers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Among their trophies was a green sea turtle skull, which they admitted to smuggling in their luggage.
The officers listened as the couple described their unlawful take of a mountain lion and shared footage of a relative’s extensive taxidermy collection. When the officers revealed their occupation, Fitzpatrick and Price shrugged off the warning and continued talking.
After landing, the officers asked to see the turtle skull. Fitzpatrick and Price hesitated but eventually retrieved it, ensuring they were out of TSA’s line of sight. This admission allowed authorities to secure search warrants for their home in Chico, California, and the Napa County residence of 64-year-old Harry Vern Fitzpatrick.
During the raid, officials found the younger Fitzpatrick and Price in the process of butchering a recently killed deer. They also uncovered additional illegal wildlife remains, including a barn owl, mountain lion claws and a ringtail cat. At the elder Fitzpatrick’s home, officers seized multiple mounted animals, including a wolverine and two full-body mountain lions.
In April 2024, Fitzpatrick and Price pleaded guilty in federal court and were fined $1,000 each. Fitzpatrick was later fined $1,865 in a separate case and was banned from hunting for a year. Price was fined $1,015 and received the same restriction. The senior Fitzpatrick was fined $605 and placed on six months of probation.
Authorities emphasized the role poaching plays in international wildlife trafficking and broader criminal networks.
