A trio from Escambia County in Florida’s panhandle are facing a slew of charges after authorities followed up on an anonymous tip earlier this month.
A homeowner alerted Florida’s FWC after hearing a gunshot near their home and finding a wounded buck in a nearby ditch. Officers were immediately dispatched to the scene where they found the 8-point buck with a large exit wound and received the description of the vehicle, its occupants and the tag number.
Officers then proceeded to open the case against the accused Amber Nicole Aceto and Timothy Tyler Moore, both of Pensacola, and Brendan Christian Bell, of Century. Moore was forthcoming with information and admitted to shooting the buck from his vehicle when he noticed it standing in the roadway.
According to FWC, his girlfriend, Aceto, then drove up to the deer and Bell helped him drag the wounded animal into a ditch before the three of them fled the scene.
As the investigation continued, it was soon revealed that the poaching trio was involved with another poaching incident the week prior in nearby Walnut Hill. It was later found that the three had taken four deer from paved roads using a gun and a light. Each of the accused reportedly killed at least one deer each and participated in the killing of the others. Officers later recovered the two rifles, light and four deer heads.
Moore is facing an additional four counts of taking or attempting to take wildlife from the right of way of any county-maintained road, four counts of taking or attempting to take deer at night with a gun and light, two counts of discharging a firearm from any paved public road, one count of littering, over 15 pounds but less than 500 pounds, two counts of possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence injunction, and was also issued citations for failure to report two deer taken during archery season.
His girlfriend Amber Nicole Aceto is facing an additional four counts of taking or attempting to take wildlife from the right of way of any county-maintained road, four counts of taking or attempting to take deer at night with a gun and light, and one count of discharging a firearm from any paved public road.
Their accomplice Brendan Christian Bell faces an additional four counts of taking or attempting to take wildlife from the right of way of any county-maintained road, four counts of taking or attempting to take deer at night with a gun and light, one count of discharging a firearm from any paved public road, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
