Metro-east duck hunters fined, banned from state parks for stealing

Three duck hunters from the metro-east have pleaded guilty more than a year after being accused of stealing a bicycle and a duck decoy cart from a state park at Carlyle Lake, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

A father and son from O’Fallon as well as a man from Troy had been accused of theft in November 2014 when waterfowl hunters at the Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area reported that a bicycle and decoy cart had been stolen. The complaint was investigated by conservation police officers.

Authorities identified the father and son as 49-year-old Michael Kortkamp and 21-year-old Robert Kortkamp. A third suspect, 20-year-old Andrew Lawrence, was also identified by police. The three suspects were taken into custody in July 2015.

The Kortkamps pleaded guilty to charges related to theft, while Lawrence pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in Fayette County Circuit Court.

A judge issued a three-year ban on the Kortkamps from entering properties owned or managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The Kortkamps were fined $295 apiece and orderd to pay $795.75 apiece in court costs, while Lawrence was fined $90 and ordered to pay $559.50 in court costs.

The stolen bicycle and decoy cart were returned to their owners, according to IDNR.

This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Metro-east duck hunters fined, banned from state parks for stealing."