Two northern Michigan men have been charged in Kalkaska County District Court with unlawfully torturing and killing animals, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Nicholas Patnode, 19, was charged with 11 counts of multiple wildlife violations in Kalkaska County between October and November 2022, and Xander Garrett, 20, was charged with three counts. It is being said. His arraignment was Monday. A plea deal was processed in Kalkaska County Juvenile Court for a third man, whose name the DNR did not release because of his age at the time of the alleged crime.
Patnode and Garrett are charged with multiple wildlife crimes, including shooting a deer from a motor vehicle, hunting tag violations and animal cruelty. The DNR believes they illegally killed six deer, including a 9-point buck shot through a truck window, and inhumanely killed a porcupine.
“Education can only go so far when there are so many violations, including animal abuse. These crimes need to be addressed,” DNR Law Enforcement Director Jason Haynes said in a news release. “It is our hope that prosecuting these acts will deter not only these individuals, but others from committing similar crimes in the future.”
Patnode's charges include two counts of killing and torturing an animal, which are third-degree felonies punishable by up to four years in prison. He also faces eight counts of wildlife protection violations and one count of hunting and fishing license violations, according to a news release.
Garrett was charged with one count of killing and torturing an animal and two counts of wildlife violation, the DNR said in a news release.
DNR conservation officers began investigating the men in 2022 after receiving a tip through the organization's poaching hotline.
“Our officers conducted a very thorough investigation piecing together a large body of evidence from across the county,” Haynes said in a news release.
Garrett and Patnode were arrested on April 12 and released on bail the next day. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 20, according to the DNR.
hmackay@detroitnews.com
