DFG News Release

Dozens of Deer Alleged to Have Been Killed and Sold for Profit by Sacramento Residents

SACRAMENTO - Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens arrested a third man in a deer poaching case where suspects were killing and selling deer for profit. Tawn Saephan, age 45, proprietor of Samthong Meat Market on Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento, was booked into Sacramento County Jail under suspicion of purchasing deer meat from Lofoo Saeturn and Merry Nian Saechao.

“Poachers who sell California’s wildlife for profit can cause irreparable harm to wildlife populations,” said Nancy Foley, Chief of DFG’s Law Enforcement Division. “Commercialization of wildlife cases is a warden’s highest priority.”

Commercialization of wildlife occurs when a poacher takes fish or wildlife species and sells them on the black market either as is, or sells it by misleading the consumer into believing it is a domesticated species. Deer can only be taken in California with a hunting license, valid deer tag and in the open season, which generally occurs from August to October and cannot be sold. Over the last month, DFG wardens have conducted intensive investigations into deer poaching from Sierra Nevada deer winter ranges. Deer winter range serves as critical habitat necessary to allow the migratory animals to escape winter weather and survive to the spring. Most adult does (female deer) carry fetuses at this time.

Starting on Dec. 4, wardens collected tissue samples from several butchered deer carcasses found in deer winter range primarily in El Dorado County. On Jan. 3, wardens arrested Lofoo Saeturn, age 42, during a deer meat sale and later Merry Nian Saechao, age 61, both of Sacramento at the home where they simultaneously served a search warrant. Upon conclusion of the search warrant, wardens discovered at least 11 deer at the house and approximately 200 pounds of meat. Also discovered at the house were abalone packaged individually with weight recordings on each bag, 19 squirrels and packaged blue gill, a popular fish found in California, all presumably for sale. Both suspects were also observed harvesting and selling mushrooms. Harvest and sale of mushrooms without a commercial permit is a violation of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Two vehicles were seized and are currently being analyzed under the direction of Jeff Rodzen, Ph.D., who runs DFG’s Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Rancho Cordova. Dr. Rodzen will be able to use DNA analysis techniques to determine how many deer are actually represented within the 200 pounds of meat seized during the search warrant and whether they came from male or female deer. He will also potentially match some of the meat samples seized from the residence with tissue samples taken from butchered carcasses found in the remote areas throughout the investigation and blood evidence swabbed from the inside of the two vehicles seized from the suspects.