DeKalb GA News

A California couple, Byron Lee Fitzpatrick and Shannon Lee Price, were convicted after unwittingly revealing their illegal activities to undercover wildlife officers during a flight in November 2023. The officers, who were seated nearby, engaged the couple in conversation as they discussed hunting exploits. According to a news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife dated February 25, 2025, the couple boasted about possessing a sea turtle skull in their luggage.

Green sea turtles are classified as an endangered species under federal law, making it illegal to possess or transport them. Despite the officers identifying themselves as part of the fish and game agency and suggesting that the couple search for them online, Fitzpatrick and Price continued their discussion. They also mentioned illegally taking a California mountain lion and described a family member's trophy room filled with poached animals.

After disembarking from the plane, the officers requested to see the skull. The couple complied only after ensuring no Transportation Security Administration agents were present. This led to search warrants being issued for their residence in Chico, California, and for Harry Vern Fitzpatrick's home in Napa County.

At Byron Fitzpatrick and Shannon Price's home, officers discovered them processing an illegally taken deer. Other confiscated items included mountain lion claws, a ringtail cat, a barn owl, an illegal spike buck, several deer parts, and poached mounts from Harry Vern Fitzpatrick’s residence.

In April 2024 at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, both Byron Fitzpatrick and Shannon Price received $1,000 fines under federal wildlife laws. In February 2024 in Napa County, Harry Vern Fitzpatrick was fined $605 with six months of hunting probation. In January 2025 in Butte County court proceedings related to Fish and Game code violations resulted in Byron receiving an $1,865 fine along with a one-year hunting prohibition; Shannon was fined $1,015 with similar restrictions.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Chief of Law Enforcement Nathaniel Arnold commented on this case: “This case exemplifies the unwavering preparedness and swift action demonstrated by our wildlife officers.” He further emphasized: “Like human and narcotics trafficking," wildlife trafficking "is known to fund transnational criminal organizations...The individuals involved exhibited a flagrant disregard for laws governing natural resources.”