An Idaho man was sentenced in Anchorage Wednesday for illegally guiding moose and bear hunts through the Noatak National Preserve.
U.S. Attorney for Alaska Bryan Schroder says between 2009 and 2016, Paul Silvis, a 52-year-old man from Nampa, ID, led multiple groups through the preserve. This was despite the fact that he was not a registered guide, did not have the correct permits and did not have the correct tags for the hunts.
Silvis operated under the Orion Outfitters business name. He also illegally transported game across state lines and lied to state officials about his business license.
Court documents show that Silvis made more than $120,000 as a fraudulent guide, and it resulted in the illegal killing of seven bears and one moose.
Silvis was sentenced to six months of house arrest. He was also fined $20,000 and was banned from hunting in Alaska for the rest of his life.
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
