William R. Kapp

History

Convicted: Killing and selling endangered animals for meat
Mar 25, 1998 - Chicago, IL (US)
Sentence: Kapp a former corrections officer was sentenced to a maximum of 4 years and 3 months in prison on 11/14/03. He was also fined $5000 for his part in a ring that killed tigers and turned them into stuffed trophies and rugs.

Kapp who lived at the 5500 block of West 17th St. was part of a 16 member ring that slaughtered federally protected big cats.

Kapp will begin his sentence on 1/9/04. When he gets out of prison he will also be required to complete 300 hours of community service while on 3 years of supervised release. He still faces a federal weapons charge for possession of a gun silencer that the US Fish and Wildlie Servie agents discovered when they searched his Tinle Park home in May 1999.

Kapp was convicted in April 2003 of 1 count of conspiracy, 8 counts of violating the US Endangered Species Act and 11 counts of violating the US Lacey Act for purchasing, killing, selling and transporting tigers and leopards, as well as their hides, meats and bones, from 1997 to 1999. He was found not guilty of 2 counts.

Notes:
Kapp is a former corrections officer.

Kapp purchased such endangered species as tigers and leopards from exotic animal exhibitors and dealers; shot, killed, skinned, and transported them, and caused others to do the same; and transported and sold their hides and meat for profit. He was charged with conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act and 17 additional counts of violating either of those laws. In a separate indictment, Kapp was charged with possession of a silencer that was not registered and was not identified by a serial number, and which was seized from him during the execution of search warrant on May 5, 1999.